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Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry

Final Report On Dental Services for the Trelawny Parish, Jamaica

October 22 – November 9, 2012

This report reflects the dental treatment rendered by the dental teams from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry, Richmond, Virginia, while in Trelawny Parish from October 22 through November 9, 2012, and is for the Ministry of Health, Trelawny Parish, Falmouth, Trelawny, Jamaica.

Three teams, comprised of a total of twenty senior dental students, four senior dental hygiene students, three dental resident students, ten faculty, and one assistant, worked mainly at Long Pond Clinic, Clarks Town, Trelawny, for three weeks. We would like to thank Nurse Reid for her assistance in seeing patients at this site and to Everglade Farms Sugar Refinery for allowing us to use their facilities. We would like to thank Viviana Cox and the staff at the Dental Clinic in Falmouth for their support and assisting on site with record keeping. The second week team, in addition to providing care at Long Pond Clinic, one half day was spent at the Good Hope Plantation.

The following table reflects the treatment rendered during the indicated time period.

Our work in the Parish was successful, having served over 1100 patients in the 3 weeks. Hurricane Sandy disrupted services during week 1 resulting in fewer patients seen then in years past. The number of extractions remained similar, whereas restored tooth surfaces decreased for all three weeks. However, cleaning and scaling procedures increased by 31 compared to last year. An increase in preventive and restorative services is a trend we desire to sustain for the wellbeing of the patients we treat.

We would like to thank Keith Russell and his wife Paula for being our local sponsor again this year and hope to keep that relationship in the future. Ministry of Health personnel, Dr. Lisa Wisdom, Medical Officer of Health, Trelawny, Dr. Marcia Johnson Campbell, Regional Technical Director (Actg), Ms. Ava-Gay Timberlake, Director of International Cooperation in Health and Ms. Kelly Fraser, Secretary for International Cooperation in Health were supportive and provided assistance with the proper distribution of our documents and reports. Ms. Meverly Anderson of the MOH Procurement Office, Kingston was instrumental making arrangements for our supplies and equipment to clear customs upon arrival in Montego Bay. We are grateful and anticipate continuing our good working relationship. A word of thanks is directed to the homeowners at Silver Sands for their support again this year by making their homes available to us during our stay.

We here at the VCU School of Dentistry look forward to a continued and rewarding relationship with Evergreen Farms Refinery and its clinic, the Good Hope Plantation, and the Ministry of Health in Trelawny and Kingston as we serve the people of Trelawny Parish. Lastly, we anticipate receiving a renewed affiliation agreement so we may continue to provide dental services. We will be in touch with MOH Trelawny sometime after the first of the year to follow- up on the agreement. Our trip next year is tentatively planned for arrival on 22 October 2013 with departure on 10 November 2013.

Respectfully submitted,
Alex M. Kordis, DDS Assistant Professor
Pediatric Dentistry Department School of Dentistry

Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia

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