Smiles Forever

Smiles Forever requests $30,000 in multi-year funding to support a three-year demonstration and research project on the effective application of Silver Diamine Flouride (SDF) by dental hygienists in rural Bolivia. Smiles Forever’s dual-pronged mission couples increased access to preventive oral healthcare among the rural poor with the education and economic empowerment of indigenous women. Smiles Forever currently operates a dental hygienist training program for indigenous women while providing critical dental care to vulnerable populations. SDF is an FDA approved treatment for cavities which serves as an alternative to extraction, preserves the tooth, and can be applied by hygienists (alternatively, extraction may only be conducted by dentists). Following the successful pilot of a mobile SDF treatment clinic at the Maria Del Rosario School in Villa Tunari, Smiles Forever will implement the mobile clinic bi-annually for the next three-years and document the pivotal role dental hygienists can play in oral health.