Origin Story: One World Surgery’s Dental Clinic

Bill and Mary Beth Fessler first met while on a medical dental mission in the Dominican Republic and, since then, their philanthropic ways have connected them with One World Surgery. Their generosity and passion for dentistry has allowed them to successfully establish a world-class dental clinic at One World Surgery’s Holy Family Surgery Center (HFSC) in Honduras.

Nearly 11 years ago, on their first medical mission to the Holy Family Surgery Center, the Dr. Fessler quickly realized that the over 500 children at Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH), a home for disadvantaged, vulnerable, and disabled children that shares the grounds with HSFC, lacked consistent access to critical dental resources.  It was on this mission to Honduras that the Fesslers became inspired to address the great need for access to adequate dental care, spurring the beginning of their decade-long project began.

That space would become a world-class dental clinic that would serve NPH children, as well as the surrounding community, keeping with the One World Surgery philosophy of providing global care to underserved communities.

Moreover, the dental clinic has become a residency for those completing dental school in Honduras and allowed students to serve both the community and NPH.

“It is a tremendous asset to the community,” says Dr. Fessler. Since 2017, the dental clinic has provided over 750 consults to community patients, with 2021 representing the most successful year yet.

In close partnership with Honduran dentist Dr. Dilcia Rodriguez, Dr. Fessler has created a working relationship that allows both Honduran professionals and local patients access to the latest technology in the dental field. While Dr. Rodriguez has worked diligently to provide care to NPH children prior to this partnership, she frequently lacked key equipment and facility components, an issue which Dr. Fessler’s support was key to addressing. Additionally, the unified mission and partnership with One World Surgery has brought greater exposure and access to many like-minded professionals in the dental field from both the US and Honduras. With the expansion of the dental program, an additional Honduran dentist, Dr. Karen Chan, was hired to ensure NPH children and community members can receive services year-round.

The dental clinic has also raised awareness to the importance of dental hygiene and, in turn, improved the diet and self-esteem the children inside NPH.

“How you present yourself, how you smile, how you feel about yourself matter. [Dental hygiene allows] you to feel comfortable about presenting yourself,” Dr. Fessler remarked.

Through the generous contributions made by Bill and Mary Beth Fessler and their family and friends, access to world-class dental care is no longer a dream, but a reality.

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