Thailand Flood Relief 2011

Smiles on Wings’ Thailand Flood Relief Mission is underway.  The plane left Chiangmai with loads of supplies for 100 families and dog food for dogs that were rescued by shelters.  The plane will land in Loburi and wait for the team to travel from Chiangmai in our four-wheeled drive truck with additional supplies.  The volunteers will  work with the local army team and distribute supplies by boats in Ayudhaya area.  We thank our Thai team.  They have worked hard in the last weeks to prepare for the mission.  Godspeed to them.  We will update you next week with the report.  Thank you for your donations.  Our next relief mission, if necessary, will be in December.  The mission in January is planned with team of volunteers from the US, England and Thailand.  Please visit our website for more information. www.smilesonwings.org

Disastrous Floods Hit Thailand

SMILES ON WINGS AT THE READY TO AID IN RECOVERY EFFORT

The Thai and Southeast Asian flooding in recent days has only touched the margins of our news.  For Thailand, these floods cover significant portions of half the provinces in the country and represent a disaster of unimaginable proportions and the worst in decades.

The Smiles on Wings' Thai-based team is read to launch at the onset of the recovery phase, duplicating the great work volunteers did in the tsunami-ravaged Phang Nga Province in 2005.

The missing ingredient is your financial support.  We ask you to consider making an exceptionally generous donation at this time.  Thanks in advance for your generosity!

Pataya Daily News | BBC News

CLICK HERE TO MAKE A DONATION

July 2011 Stats and Collage!

Thank you to everyone that made the July 2011 mission such a success!  

Didn't go on the mission? Check out the stats and collage below for a great summary!

Official Treatment Statistics July 7-14:

 183 appointments

90 restorative appointments 

93 hygiene appointments

162 fillings

428 sealants

70 cleanings

90 fluoride treatments

Want to see more photos from the mission?  Click here

Day 3 Blog (Only took 3 days to post)

Day 3: The longest working day so far!

A big hello to you all!

Melissa, Pan and Melanie playing an English dental word matching game with the kids

This is our third day in Thailand and we have been very busy! With a start of 8.15am we were working all the way until 8.30pm. It was my first opportunity to assist Dr. Patel with treatments and it was a pleasure having the chance to observe how he works; he’s really good with the kids and successfully gets over the language barrier! What I have found amazing is that a high majority of the kids do not complain, even when they are experiencing some discomfort- they are tough cookies!

Today’s treatments were carried out on the school kids and some kids from an orphanage. Dr. Bunnag and Dr. Patel sure had their hands tied as the TOTAL stats so far will show…

62 restorative patients
59 hygiene patients
104 fillings
256 sealants
49 cleanings
58 fluoride applications

Great work dentists aka moh fan! (Dr. Teeth literal translation!) They have both been amazing working with very few breaks for 12 hours!

In addition to the treating, there is also oral health education taking place, in the form of games of course! We have made our very own memory game, with colour coded cards for food that are bad for you teeth, good for your teeth and hygiene cards (e.g. toothpaste, dental floss). The aim of the game is to match the picture card with its corresponding word- it’s been a success in teaching the kids English and also in us learning some Thai! Keng mak (well done)! 

Aaron, Raina and Pan were busy interviewing the principal of the school, a grade 6 student and 2 girls from Grade 7 and 12. Some comments from one of the kids were that he learnt what was good and what was bad for his teeth and that he was grateful for his treatments. These videos will be available on the website soon! So watch this space!   

I’ve really enjoyed working with the Smiles on Wings team and the kids so far and will definitely miss everyone when I’m back in cold England! It’s been great to see how Smiles on Wings run their missions with such organization, planning and with a smile!

Best wishes!
 Jacqueline Chok (Jax), a dental student from the UK.

Day 2 Blog

This is Day 2 of my mission with “Smiles On Wings.”  Although I cannot contribute to the actual dentistry, I have taken it upon myself to do the small things to help make this a successful mission. Education is a vital part of getting the children to improve their hygiene.  Teaching the children how to take care of their own teeth is very important for the success of future missions.  Prevention helps reduce the number of major issues and allows the dentists to focus on helping keep the teeth healthy. Today my role was to help create an activity of making a “tooth hat.” Not as easy as it sounds, but with the concentrated efforts of several other volunteers this turned out to be successful and fun. As silly as it may seem, we hope it has a lasting impression on the children and they develop a daily routine of good hygiene.  

Volunteers presenting their "Love Your Teeth" Hats

My experience so far has been an education to me as well. I have enjoyed the time and energy it takes to help support this mission.  My son and I traveled for well over 24 hours to share in the passion shown by Dr. Usa and Dr. Atul, the dentists here.  We feel privileged to be able to help. Thank you for any support you might be able to share.  Keep smiling :)

First one to the top wins!

Sid screening a student from the R35 School

Written by Matt Frentsos from Potomac, MD

Mission Day 5 - Internet Day 1

We have been in Phang-nga for 5 days and finally got the internet up  and running today!  Dr. Usa was running the show by herself for the first 3 days of the clinic and today our super group of volunteers sprang into action.  Today we treated students from the R35 School, children from a local fisherman village as well as from the Daungprateep Foundation Orphanage.

Nikhil, Sid, Jax and Pan teaching kids how to brush their teeth!

Dr. Usa screening a patient on the first day of the mission

Dr. Atul, Dr. Usa, Sze San, Tiffany and Melissa are running the dental station.  Jax, Sid and Nikhil are in charge of screening the patients and dental education.  Pan is our superhero translator.  Aaron and Luke are the video/photo squad.  Matt is the mechanic/soccer player/kid entertainer and Ros is kid entertainer #2/computer engineer/internet expert.  With such a great time we have been able to treat many patients, provide in depth dental education while having fun and eating delicious Thai food at every spare moment. 

Make sure to check the blog daily for words from our volunteers, pics of the clinic and treatment stats!

Biggest Mission Yet

The Smiles on Wings team is excited to be leaving for Thailand in 5 days!! This mission, we will have our biggest group of volunteers ever. With such a large group, we have the manpower and energy to have our most productive mission thus far. A focus of this mission will be dental education. We have dental students and high school students who are excited to teach our patients proper dental hygiene. This will ensure that good dental hygiene is sustained in these communities once the SOW team has left.

With your support, our team will be able to treat and educate more patients. Please consider a donation today so that you could be a part of SOW's most successful dental mission. Click on the link below to make your contribution

SOW's Facebook Causes Page

Come join us at the Thai Embassy on Saturday, May 14th!

Please join Smiles on Wings and Thai Crossing at the Thai Embassy in Georgetown this Saturday, May 14th.

We will have beautiful handcrafted gifts, jewelry and clothing from Thailand.  All proceeds directly benefit Smiles on Wings.

Enjoy Thai dance, music, food and while supporting Smiles on Wings' great humanitarian work.  It will be an exciting day full of fun and culture. 

Event Details:

Saturday May, 14th

10am-5pm

Royal Thai Embassy

1024 Wisconsin Avenue NW

Washington, D.C. 20007

Click here for more info on the Embassy event

Tweet with us!

The moment you've been waiting for is here...

Smiles on Wings is now on Twitter - Follow us here!

Things that Make me Smile

On the last day of each mission, we put on a fun activity for both our schools and the villages to enjoy!  We want them to remember Smiles on Wings and why us crazy Americans came to their school and kept talking about their teeth.

 

The theme of the winter party was "Things That Make Me Smile."  Our dentists started the party with dental trivia based on facts we had been teaching the students all week.  Proper dental hygiene was emphasized and a prize was given for each correct answer. The kids impressed us with how much they remembered.  They also were great at translating words like "teeth," "gums," and toothbrush" from Thai to English. 

 

Students then created their own special drawings of smiles and decorated with stickers and drawings of the things that make them smile.  SOW volunteers helped them to spell in English, but the students didn't need any help writing the words, they all had beautiful handwriting! Everyone had their own creation to bring home and remind them why its so important to keep their smiles beautiful. 

 

Take a look at our entire Smiles Party album to see more photos of this fun day.   

Dreams of the Future

Not only did our Winter Smiles on Wings Team create beautiful smiles, but we also inspired students at the 35^th King’s Foundation School to pursue their dream careers! Hear from Muoy and Amm below:

Ms. Pris.sa.na Yim.Jei (Muoy)

Age: 17

"I’d like to be a doctor, so I can help my own family and others. I can bring back my knowledge for my village. If I can’t afford to be a doctor, it’s ok for me to become the assistant, at least I can help others.  I am so excited to see how each patients responds. Each of them reacts differently. It’s kinda tough during the first few days because I don’t know how to use all the equipment very well and how to communicate in English. However, everything works smoothly. I really love it now. Everyone is so lovely and I feel so comforted. I look forward to working with Smiles on Wings in the near future."

Ms. Pra.pas.sorn Kam.Rob (Amm)

Age:  19

"I’d like to be a business women. I help the team organize and set up. I give toothbrushes and toothpaste to all patients. I also do chores at the end of the day. I’m very proud of myself for being here with Smiles on Wings. I gain a lot of knowledge with the lovely dentists as well as the other team members. Everyone is so lovely. They taught me how to brush and floss my teeth."

Smiles Restored

This week, we would like to highlight a smile that was completely transformed!  During our Southern Mission in the Takua Pa District of Phang Nga Province, we were lucky to have Dr. Atul Patel from California  and Lori Helmer from Wisconsin join the team.  Dr. Patel and Lori were able to provide our patient with a dental filling forming a new, beautiful, and confident smile!  Keep in mind, we completed 365 fillings in less than two weeks in January - our volunteers were very hard at work!

To see more pictures of transformed smiles from the January 2011 Missions, check out our Facebook Photo Albums here!

Khob Khun Kha!

Dr. Usa Bunnag with students from the R21 school in Mae Hong Son


Khob Khun Kha (Thank you) to all the volunteers, staff and partners that made the January 2011 Mission possible.  With one week in Mae Hong Son and one week in Phang-nga we were able to treat an extraordinary amount of children at the R21 and R35 schools.  

Final Mission Stats: 

Total Patients: 270

Total Restorative Patients: 203

Total Hygiene Patients: 212

Total Fillings: 365 on 113 patients

Total Sealants: 696 on 150 patients

Total Scalings (Cleanings): 212

The students and school staff were extremely grateful for the treatment they received.  Preventive and restorative treatment left everyone smiling.  We will return in July to continue treatment for our current patients who are still in need as well as treat new patients at the schools and nearby orphanages.  Make sure to "Follow" us to hear post-mission stories and updates from the SOW family.  

Sam Jacobs and Dr. Atul Patel instructing students on how to teach their  peers to brush properly

Successful week in Phang Nga

Our week in the Takua Pa District of Phang Nga Province has been going by very quickly. The Smiles on Wings dental team has worked diligently through 12-hour days to provide care for the students, staff, and surrounding members of this community.

From Monday, January 25th to Wednesday, January 27th:

Our team was able to provide care for 87 patients, performing

199 fillings

258 sealants

67 scalings

A special applause goes to Dr. John Kastendiek and his wonderful assistant Lori, who completed 110 fillings on 23 patients in one day.  (Yes, 110!!) Their efforts are much appreciated by the patients who were in great need of their services.  Dr. Patel took time out of his busy schedule of placing sealants and fillings to provide oral hygiene instructions to a group of students. His brushing demonstrations on our favorite donkey model were effective and our assistants got to practice their new skills of teaching others about dental health throughout the afternoon.

Blue and yellow day

Today is our third day in the clinic and each day the kids wear different colored shirts depending on the activity of the day. Yesterday was sports day and all had these wonderfully bright colored shirts, yellow, lime green, sky blue and pink!

At home we always joked with patients that if they lost a temporary or had a dental problem while away on vacation we could always set up a beach chair and take care of them! We were only able to bring down two dental chairs so we improvised with what the school had available. Well the beach chair actually works!! The kids are great and once settled into the chair we can do exams, sealants and hygiene. For most of the kids it is dental education that is most needed and having a regular team come to the school will benefit them all for years to come. The older children are a great help and are very interested in what we are doing and love to assist! They get the biggest kick out of hearing us try to pronounce the very difficult Thai words- I feel I have to scrunch up my face to make the sounds!

This morning I worked in the restorative section with Lori who is awesome and rises to the task no matter what challenges we may have- from a very ticklish patient to mechanical problems! We have plans to work until 8:30 pm for three days to try and accommodate everyone- all are so patient in waiting their turn and between the large screen TV and many drawing stations they pass the time. It has been a wonderful experience so far and appreciate all the help received by everyone!!

written by Dr. Susan A. Grimes, Vermont

Similan Islands

 

Several team members arrived in the Phang-nga Province on Saturday.  We took the opportunity to do some local sightseeing while waiting for the remainder of the SOW team to arrive.  The Similan Islands are a chain of nine islands located one hour west by speedboat.  The islands offered a spectacular playground having many options such as snorkeling, hiking, swimming, sunbathing and multiple photo-ops.  We also spotted some unique wildlife, such as fruit bats and marine life.  My favorite was the unicorn fish.  

This is my third mission to the Phang-nga province and am again thankful that I am able to bring my son along on the missions.  Bryce and I have enjoyed the island tour and bonding with the mission team.  Tomorrow we will continue working at the 35th King's Foundation School which was rebuilt after being demolished in the 2004 tsunami.   

Written by dental hygienist Bonnie Mougey - Bangkok, Thailand 

And we're back!

After several internet-less days and a few cold showers out of a bucket, I am back with plenty of updates!  The SOW team traveled 1500 kilometers south to the Phang-nga province of Thailand.  Before I tell you a little bit about what we are up to in the south, please take a minute to read our final stats from the northern mission. In four short days, our team was able to complete a tremendous amount of much needed dental treatment on the 1st-12th grade students of the 21st King's Foundation School in Mae Hong Son: 

Northern Mission Statistics, January 17-20, 2011

Total Patients - 143

Restorative Patients - 107

Hygiene Patients - 119

69 fillings on 33 patients

337 sealants on 94 patients

120 scalings

7 extractions 

We are now in the Takua Pa district of the Phang-nga province working diligently at the 35th King's Foundation School.  Two of the dentists from our northern team flew home to the states and we have been joined by Dr. Susan Grimes from Vermont as well as Dr. Atul Patel from California. Half of our group is lodging at a nearby hotel and the other half is staying at the principal's guest house on campus at the school.  Geckos and other creepy crawlers are making sure to follow the team members to wherever they have chosen to sleep!

Our new Smiles on Wings' team!

This is SOW's third visit to the 35th School and this leg of the mission is sponsored by a grant from the American Dental Association Foundation's Tsunami Reconstruction Fund.  The 35th School was completely destroyed by the 2004 tsunami and has been beautifully rebuilt.  The new facilities are built on much higher ground in case another disaster should occur.  The school offers boarding for 700 students and also has an additional 100 day students.   

Our dentists are busy treating the students from the school and will work late each night to treat youngsters from a local orphanage.  We are lucky to have the older students from the school help our team with all parts of the mission including: screening, registration, and assisting. Stay tuned to hear updates from our team as well as the student helpers!  Please feel free to leave comments about our mission or ask questions to our team members.  

~ Raina  

Goodbye Mae Hong Sorn

Fourth Day Stats (1/2 day):

46 sealants (8 patients)

15 fillings (7 patients)

30 scalings (cleanings) 1 extraction

The first half of our mission is complete!  We worked for four days at the 21st King's Foundation School in the Mae Hong Sorn province.  Our whole team feels very privileged to have worked with the students, teachers and local hospital staff.  Each person we met was incredibly kind and hospitable.  We ate like royalty each day at the school. The children were extremely grateful for the dental care they were received and were exceptionally  brave even during scary procedures such as fillings and extractions.  We were able to treat many children who would otherwise never see a dentist.  In addition to cleanings and fillings, the majority of the students received sealants for extra protection against cavities for the next several years.

Dr. John Savukinas and assistant Lori fill a young girl's cavities.

As a special goodbye activity our team threw an early Valentine's Day party for the 12-16 year old class in the first level of English.  The party began with dental trivia (to make sure they were paying attention all week!) and then we taught them how to make Valentine's Day cards and write special notes to each other.  The students loved cutting out hearts and creating beautiful, unique cards.  With a little encouragement it became obvious that they knew much more English than they let on.  They were teaching us how to spell their names in English!

Sam receives a special valentine from a student. 

I am very grateful to our Smiles on Wings team.  Each team member worked tirelessly each day to see as many patients as possible.  I am very lucky to have worked with such a dedicated, passionate and talented group of individuals.  Without volunteers such as themselves our organization would not be able to continue.  Thank you the January 2011 Northern Mission team!

On Sunday we will begin our mission in the Phang-nga province of Southern Thailand.  We will set up our clinic at the 35th King's Foundation School.  Please check in to hear stories from our new team!

Written by Raina Goldstein from Bethesda, MD, Executive Director, Smiles on Wings

A Stone's Throw From Burma

Third Day Stats:

25 scalings (cleanings)

108 sealants on 21 patients

27 fillings on 10 patients 

2 extractions 

We started today earlier then normal.  A special tour had been arranged for us to the Burmese border.  We first went to a local village clinic where our volunteer health technician, Aek, worked.  Today this village was having  a sports field day.  All the schools in the area were in costume and participated in a parade to a field where the children had competitions.  The parade was wonderful with colorful costumes and marching bands.

Children from different schools performing at the Sports Day Parade 

From there we traveled into the back country.  We traveled over a mountain and down the other side in the back of a pick-up truck. We traveled through several small villages with the houses built on stilts on the sides of cliffs.  We arrived at the Y in the river that separates Thailand from Burma.  We took a boat ride up the river to a small beach area where we got some incredible pictures of the river canyon.  The people in the village were very friendly and some spoke rather good English.

Dentists skipping rocks on the Salween River

After a stop for lunch we headed back to the school for a few hours of Dentistry on the school children.  The kids here are incredibly polite and very good patients.  Working on them is not difficult at all.

We finished the day with another great dinner and then a drive to the top of a local mountain where we visited a beautiful Pagoda and launched two floating lanterns.(I don't know the real name for these)

An amazing day leaving me exhausted but incredibly fulfilled.

Written by dentist, Keith Schmidt, from Bel Air, Maryland.