2008 News Archive

Dentists from the U.S. provide free treatment for Moldovan Children

April 03, 2008

American Dentists provide free care for poor children and orphans in Moldova.

Three dentists and five dental students from the United States visited Moldova during the week of March 31 – April 3 to provide free treatment for Moldovan children, and to share professional experience with their colleagues from Moldova. The visit was organized by the Bilateral Affairs Office of the U.S. Embassy in Moldova, and is one in a series of visits of American dentists to Moldova. The visits were launched in 1999 as part of the State Partnership between the Republic of Moldova and the state of North Carolina.

During the visit, the group headed by Drs Burton Horwitz and Glen Reside from the University of North Carolina Dental School provided treatment to children at the orphanage in Straseni, and conducted free consultations and treatment for children at the Diadent dental clinic in Chisinau. Approximately 90 children were examined and treated beween the Straseni orphanage and Chisinau.

Dr Reside’s brother, David Reside, was a past director of Peace Corps in Moldova. Having this family experience, Dr Reside was aware of the poor dental condition for many children in Moldova, and thus was particularly interested in assisting in contributing to their care. His experience during this visit confirmed the high level of need among poor children and orphans in Moldova, as 24 of the 25 children assessed at the Straseni orphanage on the first day needed urgent treatment.

They dentists also conducted several lectures for the students and faculty of the Moldovan Medical University, and visited dental clinics in various hospitals in Chisinau, Straseni, and Cahul.