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Mobile dental clinic team in the Dominican Republic.

Sarvenaz Zaree Bavani, a fourth-year dental student, had always dreamed of expanding her horizons and making a difference in communities that lacked access to essential care. Moving from Iran to pursue her studies in Canada, Sarvenaz navigated the complexities of an advanced placement dental program at the U of A. It was during her trip to the Dominican Republic (more info) that she truly understood the profound impact dentistry could have on underserved populations. 

At the beginning of her last year in the dentistry program, in September 2024, Sarvenaz’s bittersweet realization that she would be moving on to the next stage of her career was tempered by the opportunity to provide free services via a mobile dental clinic in the Dominican Republic. 

Organized by Bright Island Outreach, a local organization, and , a Canadian organization, the clinic was upheld by a group of U of A dentistry students, as well as others from and .

The collaborative effort resulted in the treatment of 256 patients from rural communities in the span of three short days. Sarvenaz and the others were partnered up and performed mainly extractions and fillings, along with some root canals. While she expected to be doing gruelling work in a short period of time, what she couldn’t have expected was how deeply the faces of the people she treated would affect her. 

Every day, beginning at 8:30 a.m., people would flock to a local church where the mobile dental clinic was set up. There was one particular patient who left an indelible impression on Sarvenaz. A man no older than 40 came in one day with a set of severely broken front teeth. It wasn’t just a dental issue; it was a source of deep insecurity. She had to perform a root canal and she told him that they would need to work on the restoration part of it as well. 

“He told me that he can only get one tooth done because he only has very little time off from his work and he cannot come back. ”

After they were done, however, he looked at his teeth in the mirror, all smiles, giddy with happiness. The next day, he was first in line, looking for Sarvenaz to finish fixing his teeth. 

“They don't speak your language, but the smiles they give you are rewarding. He was smiling and walking around, showing his teeth to people in the clinic.”

Sarvenaz was so deeply moved by her impact on people at the clinic that she decided she would go back every two years on similar mission trips just to give people the ability to smile again. 

The hospitality and warmth of the Dominican people were apparent not only as they worked in the clinic, but also as they travelled around the country. As they visited an island with turquoise blue waters and sandy beaches, explored the city and toured a local dental school, Sarvenaz and her peers were met with warm welcomes. 

The experience wasn’t solely about treating patients; it was also about seeing life through a different lens. Beyond the technical skills of dentistry, Sarvenaz marvelled at how many young people were losing a significant portion of their teeth. Despite a lack of education on proper dental care and a lack of accessible treatment, they were incredibly welcoming, grateful for every moment of care they received. 

“This is a great experience. It's a mixture of seeing a new country as well as being able to contribute to an underserved community.”