Dental News      

STEVE HENLEY, D.D.S.

DENTAL ADVISOR TO

CHILDREN’S MEDICAL MINISTRIES

　For the past ten years, Dr. Steve Henley, Dental Advisor to Children’s Medical Ministries (CMM) has conducted dental programs in many countries including Vietnam, Thailand and other developing countries. Each year Dr. Henley has taught preventive dentistry at the New Life Organization (NEWLO) School on the Island of Grenada. This “vocational” school with 300 students offers training in fifteen trades as well as several academic classes. NEWLO has requested Dr. Henley to conduct a preventive class to the students each year, which will require each student to attend the dental lectures at least once during the two-year course of study.

Approximately seven years ago, Dr. Henley, in cooperation with CMM and the Degenhardt Foundation, traveled to Vietnam and started a dental project in Ho Chi Minh City. During a three-year period, three hundred kids in a Street Kids’ School were given dental exams and cleanings as well as preventive dentistry instruction. Restorations and extractions were also offered to the students who needed care.

After three years, the project was extended to other areas of Vietnam including the Mekong Delta, Danang, and Na Trang areas. Dr. Henley’s project extended to include coordination with two dental schools from the United Kingdom who are continuing to give dental care and dental preventive instructions.

Recently, Children’s Medical Ministries’ dental efforts have been offered in Haiti. Portable dental units are purchased and sent to outreach dental clinics. A preventive dental outreach has been started in Northern Haiti with Living Hope Mission (LHM). Living Hope assists nine rural schools with preventive medical and dental programs. Two Haitian “anamiteurs” (teachers) have been employed who visit each school several times each school term, conducting preventive medicine and preventive dental classes. Toothbrushes, toothpaste, and dental floss are distributed to the students, and “brush-ins” are conducted each time with the students’ demonstrating brushing and flossing techniques to the teachers.