Dr. Dale Hunt and team travel to the remote village of Cebadas to help villagers with oral health
For over 10 years, Dr. Dale Hunt of Wood Creek Dental in upstate South Carolina has brought his dental services to the country of Ecuador. It’s a special relationship that he and his staff have developed with communities across the nation. This past June, Dr. Hunt continued that tradition by visiting Cebadas, a remote village at the base of the Andes Mountains and offering his dental services to those in need.
Joining him on this trip was a team of 13 individuals, including his wife Joanne, his sister Judy, who for the fifth year offered her skills as a dental hygienist, and Dr. Riley Wedlake and Dr. Shivana Umadas, both dentists who practice in Denver, CO.
During their time in Cebadas, the team set up a dental clinic and treated 350 men, women, and children from the village. “For the majority of these villagers, our visit was their first encounter with a professional dentist, or dental team, and may well be the only opportunity they get in their lifetime for dental care,” Dr. Hunt said.
Among most of the adult villagers, the greatest oral care need was the removal of infected teeth. Something as small as removing an infected tooth can often be life-saving as well as a great pain relief for the individual. The second greatest need among villagers of all ages was the filling of cavities. The team also handed out 250 toothbrushes and demonstrated proper techniques to help with their dental hygiene practices.
Dr. Hunt and the team were received by the villagers warmly who allowed them to work on their mouths without hesitation. This was due in large part to Wood Creek Dental’s partnership with One Heart Global Ministries, a non-profit, Christian organization based in Ecuador that’s committed to serving the people of their country, and also due to the cooperation and assistance of the Ecuadorian government who provided military escorts to accompany the team throughout the trip.
“We were received as friends, and our services were greatly appreciated by those to whom we ministered,” Dr. Hunt said. “And as always, we were the ones that left blessed the most by the genuine smiles we received and the warm embrace of their welcome.”
Dr. Dale Hunt, DDS started Wood Creek Dental over 30 years ago and provides cosmetic and general dentistry services to the Greenville and Landrum areas of South Carolina.
