This placement offers an ideal opportunity for dental students or aspiring dentists to shadow and assist qualified and experienced dental professionals within private clinics in Tanzania.
It is vital for addressing oral health needs in low-resource countries, where access to dental care is often limited and many people suffer from preventable oral diseases.

Through our program, volunteers play a crucial role in supplementing local oral healthcare efforts, providing much-needed support and gaining invaluable hands-on experience while helping. Oral health is a basic human right, and making it accessible for all is essential.

Volunteers will primarily work in our partnered private dental clinics to support the local staff and learn from experienced professionals.

Working in our clinics offers a wonderful opportunity for volunteers to become familiar with the challenges and health issues of developing countries and low-resource facilities. All our clinics are government approved.

The work environment is very different from what you may be used to at home. You need to be open-minded and able to adapt to the limited resources and the unique healthcare practices. The clinic is located in the city of Dar es Salaam, around 20 minutes from the volunteer house.

This project is open to everyone with a dentistry background or interest in oral health who wants to make a difference in the lives of underprivileged people in Africa.

You will be able to observe and, when possible, assist in various areas of dentistry under supervision of professional dentists, including:

• General dentistry (check-ups and basic treatments)

• Preventive care and oral hygiene education

• Restorative dentistry (fillings, crowns)

• Endodontics (root canal treatments)

• Periodontics (gum health and treatment of periodontal diseases)

• Oral surgery (tooth extractions, minor surgical procedures)

• Pediatric dentistry (children’s dental health)

• Prosthodontics (dentures, bridges)

• Orthodontics (braces and corrective treatments – observational only)

You will be working with a supervisor dentist who will give you full orientation to familiarize yourself with the clinic, patients, and your role.

This is an excellent opportunity to gain valuable dental experience in a different cultural setting where practices differ from those in your home country. You can either assist or shadow the staff members. The type of work you will be allocated will depend on your own skills, competencies, and level of study, which is important since patient health and safety come first.

Your roles may include some of the following:

• Observing dental consultations and procedures

• Assisting with dental hygiene education for patients

• Preparing and sterilizing dental instruments

• Supporting dental staff with patient preparation and follow-up

• Helping in administrative duties (patient records, organizing)

• Shadowing dentists during extractions, fillings, and restorative work

• Assisting with community dental outreach (when available)

• Educating patients on proper brushing and oral care practices

The facilities will be different from those in your home country, offering a new perspective on dentistry in developing countries. Our organization also runs community dental outreach programs when possible, where we visit local schools and communities to provide free dental check-ups, oral hygiene education, and distribution of basic supplies such as toothbrushes and toothpaste.

This offers a unique opportunity for volunteers and students to be acquainted with the existing oral health challenges and the reality of delivering dental care in a resource-limited setting. Volunteers are expected to bring their own scrubs and, if possible, basic dental tools for personal use.