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Honduras Dental School Project

An exciting new dental school project is under way. Dave Sheets, a retired businessman from Provo, Utah has become very involved in providing dynamic leadership and direction to the establishment and management of a new dental clinic at the dental school in Honduras. Dr. Rich Meyers, who developed the Lima, Peru clinic, is shouldering the assignment for the Academy in the development of the facility. The new residency clinic will occupy a newly remodeled 1600-square-foot space at the dental school. Adec dental equipment has donated enough new equipment to equip six operatories. A seventh space will be equipped with refurbished equipment. Corey Hanks has been refurbishing some fourteen dental chairs and other equipment to help supplement the often nonfunctioning dental equipment at the school.

Native Hondurans will do most of the remodeling of the space. A number of volunteers and cabinet shops in Utah County have built $1500 worth of cabinetry. Ross Farnsworth’s organization, “One Life At A Time,” has contributed heavily to pay for the huge shipping containers and remodeling. Further contributions would be greatly appreciated to finish equipping the clinic.

At present, the dental students have very little chance of doing clinical practice because of the unavailability of functioning dental equipment at the school. They spend six years in dental school. The sixth year is spent in clinical service in the community to gain their clinical experience. The Vice Dean, Ramon Arguellas, has been the coordinator for the project, which he says will be the “finest” dental clinic in all of Central America. The top dental students, six at a time, on a six month rotation, will be chosen to man the clinic, which will be run by an LDS Missionary Couple who is presently being sought. Visiting practitioners who wish to volunteer to serve on expeditions two to three times a year will use the clinic to mentor the local dental students as well as perform dental services to the local population, many of which will be local church members in need of care.

The first week of May 2004 will be the ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house for the clinic. The First Lady, the University president, as well as the area stake presidents and other dignitaries are anticipated to be in attendance. For this event an expedition of twelve dentists and thirteen pre-dental students is set up to attend. This will be a major “shot in the arm” for dentistry in Central America.

This new facility will offer great opportunities for service and involvement as a profession in promoting the goal of the Academy.

Anyone desiring further information may contact Dr. Rick Meyers (home phone: 760-951-8980; cell: 760-964-3987; email: rickm@charter.net.) or Dave Sheets (email: dsheets@beprepared.com).

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