Bringing Digital Dentistry to Underserved Patients in Ecuador

Posted: February 9, 2024
Edited by Dentaltown staff

Bringing Digital Dentistry to Underserved Patients in Ecuador CHICAGO— Drs. Lauren McDonough and Roma Patel, along with a group of Aspen Dental doctors, hygienists, dental assistants, and lab technicians, recently returned from an overseas outreach trip to Quito, Ecuador. Through Aspen Dental’s Healthy Mouth Movement, which aims to increase access to care for those in need both in America and abroad, the group teamed up with International Medical Relief (IMR) to provide free medical and dental care to the underserved population in Quito, Ecuador.

In addition to providing routine dental care, the group brought along all the equipment necessary to provide digital dentures to their patients, including intraoral scanners and 3D printers.

The team treated over 250 patients in just two days and provided 35 full or partial digital dentures. Given the massive demand, the team had to send oral scans to Aspen Dental designers in the States, who then sent their designs back to the lab technicians in Ecuador for printing.
Bringing Digital Dentistry to Underserved Patients in Ecuador
To meet the needs of as many people as possible, patients were first triaged by IMR’s medical team, then sent to the Aspen team if they also had dental concerns. Patients who needed digital denture work were scanned, provided any additional dental care they needed and then returned the following day for their functional try-in appointments.

“It’s necessary to remind yourself why you got into the profession, and there’s no better way to do that than by volunteering and helping those who truly need care,” said Patel. “If you’re thinking about doing a trip like this–just do it. Everyone needs this kind of experience in their lives.”



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