Texas A&M University College of Dentistry students sharpen their skills on dental mission trips

A busy dental student scheduled to graduate next May, few would fault Mackenzie “Kenzie” Bankes for heading to Jamaica for a few lazy days to enjoy sandy beaches and misty mountains. But those and even dances to the Caribbean island’s famous reggae beats had to wait.

Bankes and fellow Texas A&M University College of Dentistry students traveled Aug. 1-8 on a dental mission trip to St. Elizabeth Parish and its Helping Hand Dental Clinic in the southwestern part of the country. Working with the nonprofit Christian Medical & Dental Association, they provided oral hygiene education, cleanings, fillings and tooth extractions to more than 600 underserved residents rebuilding after Hurricane Melissa last year.

“We worked long days in a clinic without air conditioning, but the opportunity to bring relief, healing and hope made every challenge worthwhile,” she said.

The 16 dental students and three dental hygiene students weren’t alone in their humanitarian efforts. Several groups of A&M Dentistry students were globetrotting this summer with both dentistry skills and benevolent hearts.

Mexican mission of compassion

Ten A&M Dentistry students began their summer academic break with a journey May 17-23 to Mexico to provide fillings, crowns, bridges, extractions and other care to residents in areas around Puebla, Mexico. Hosted by Wehrle Implant Immersion Center, they screened applicants in the first few days; accepted patients were shuttled days later to Wehrle’s 30,000-square-foot dental facility in Puebla for treatment.

The center milled everything needed, and fourth-year dental student Heydi Vanegas delivered her first dental bridge to a patient who appreciated the restored smile.

“I gained so much confidence in just a week,” Vanegas said. “There were other volunteer dentists who provided us with helpful lectures and tips in the clinic, which made the learning experience extremely immersive.”

She estimated about 200 patients were treated during the mission trip.

“Every day, I was reminded of why I chose this profession and how grateful I am to have the opportunity to use my career to serve others,” Vanegas said. “(The experiences) reaffirmed my passion for dentistry and my commitment to giving back to communities that need it most.”

She hopes to participate in mission trips to Honduras and Guatemala, her parents’ native countries, in the future.

Dr. Michael Wehrle, Baylor College of Dentistry Class of 1989, said the first mission trip was three years ago with Louisiana State University Health Science Center School of Dentistry students. A&M Dentistry students have participated twice.

“We always go to the same place, since we built the hotel, lab and dental office just for this purpose,” said Wehrle, who has traveled to Mexico on missions since 2002 and on missions in Honduras years earlier.

The treatment center is modern and technologically advanced, but the mission trip had many less-than-luxurious times. A house served as the volunteers’ main location those first few days and a basketball court substituted as a screening center, which meant the group had limited space and equipment. They also worked long hours and encountered some communication barriers; however, people waited patiently each day, said fourth-year dental student Van Nguyen, who, like Bankes, has participated in several dental mission trips.

The Mexican mission also includes a bootcamp-style curriculum, referred to as Wehrle Implant Immersion Course. The center was built in 2012.

“This experience reminded me that being a good dentist is not only about clinical skills, but also about being able to communicate and connect with patients,” Nguyen said. “I was touched by how friendly and welcoming everyone was, and I left determined to improve my Spanish so I can better serve Spanish-speaking patients in the future.”

Many people seeking care had multiple cavities, severe periodontal disease or needed extractions of most or all their teeth. She and fellow fourth-year dental student Karina Estrada assisted with full-mouth extractions in the clinic so patients could receive complete dentures the same day.

“Seeing the extent of their dental needs (reinforced) how important access to dental care is and strengthened my commitment to community service,” Nguyen said.

The next mission is May 16-22. Twenty A&M Dentistry students may attend.

“The instructors and I take a special joy in watching the students grow so much during just one week,” Wehrle said.

Providing meaningful care in the Philippines

Fourth-year dental student Omar Ali finished his summer semester July 24, only hours before heading to the Philippines as part of the newly formed Act Asia mission created by A&M Dentistry students, faculty and alumni. The group arrived in rural Buug a day late after flight delays but immediately began seeing patients – about 300 people were waiting.

“We worked through sunset, providing as much care as we could before finally closing for the day,” Ali wrote in an account of the trip. “We had understood before the trip that the dental need in Buug was significant; but seeing it firsthand was different. Many of the patients we screened had heavy calculus, extensive decay, and multiple teeth that could no longer be restored.”

Because of limited time and equipment challenges, group members limited services to cleanings, fillings, extractions and oral health education.

“Most patients needed more than one of them, often involving several teeth,” wrote Ali, who traveled to Gitega, Burundi, on a similar mission in 2025. “After discussing their most urgent needs, we allowed patients to help decide which treatment would be most meaningful to them that day.”

Following a meeting with Mayor Dionesia Lagas and city staff the next day, A&M Dentistry students and faculty arrived at the clinic to find about 300 people waiting outside – many gathering before 8 a.m. – because news of the dental team’s arrival had spread via Facebook.

“Our team worked continuously and treated more than 100 patients that day,” Ali wrote. “Even so, nearly 200 others had to be asked to return the following morning. Treating that many people was an accomplishment, but the patients we could not reach made the scale of the need impossible to ignore.”

In a call earlier this year for a global shift to environmentally friendly, less invasive and affordable oral healthcare, the World Health Organization reported tooth decay is the most common noncommunicable disease worldwide, affecting an estimated 2.7 billion people.

The demand for basic dental care globally isn’t surprising to Dr. Jonathan Clemetson, clinical faculty in comprehensive dentistry at A&M Dentistry, a veteran of many mission trips in more than a decade.

He mentored the students during the Philippines mission trip and did the same during a trip to his native Jamaica in March. Planning for the Philippines mission trip began in the first quarter of the year, and students held fundraisers and solicited donations for their travel expenses.

“Sadly, we can only take a small number of students due to costs, long travel and (the) logistics of just moving people around on the ground,” Clemetson said.

He and A&M Dentistry students will return to the Philippines next summer and continue to receive numerous messages from Buug-area residents who weren’t treated but remain grateful for the group’s efforts.

Bankes, whose first mission trip to Jamaica was last summer, said the mission trip experience is invaluable for all students.

“Working in a setting with limited resources reminded me that dentistry is not always about having every tool or treatment option available,” Bankes said. “It is about using the knowledge and skills you have to provide the best, most appropriate care for each patient.”