Throughout my academic education I have been able to give back to my community in the following settings:
- In 2016 and 2017 I had the opportunity to be part of a community service project in Yantzaza- Ecuador, a rural area in the Amazon. During this time my responsibility was to educate and provide dental services to people in need, children in daycares and schools, and elderly population in geriatric facilities. Being away from my hometown and my family to help others was a very rewarding experience for me since it not only helped me develop my skills as a clinician but also taught me to appreciate everything that we take every day for granted.
- In April 2024 as part of a Public Health project I visited a daycare in Queens with a group of my classmates. Our job was to raise caries awareness among pre-schoolers through visual presentations. Also, we used the “Tell, show, do” technique to teach children Fones toothbrushing method. In my opinion, being able to work with children is a big step for future teenagers and adults to have good oral health.
Being part of these two community projects helped me bring awareness about caries and the importance of dental evaluations to my patients . Moreover, it gave me the opportunity to teach my patients a proper way to do their oral hygiene according to their level of dexterity and understanding.
