Smile While You Work

Every morning at 8 am, a dedicated group of dentists, dental assistants, a dental hygienist and translators set out across Lomé, Togo, to the dental clinic run by Mercy Ships. The clinic is a quick 25-minute drive through the city centre and has been named Round Point Clinic by the Africa Mercy dental team.

The three-story building that houses the dental clinic is owned by the Ministry of Health. It features air-conditioning and adequate space to provide a comfortable environment for patients and Mercy Ships volunteers. The Round Point Clinic accommodates all aspects of the dental clinic: screenings, reception, waiting room and dental procedures.

Dental screenings are held on Mondays and Thursdays, with an average turnout of about 250 potential patients. Gini Porter, Dental Coordinator, and Sieh Moore, Assistant Dental Coordinator, conduct the screenings to identify patients with a range of dental issues from simple cavities to large, deformity-causing abscesses.

The coordinators schedule 50 to 60 appointments daily. Patients screened on Monday receive appointments for Monday through Wednesday. Patients screened on Thursday receive appointments for Thursday and Friday. Most patients are willing to wait all day to be seen by the Mercy Ships dentists.

Due to the lack of dental services in Togo, most people have never seen a dentist. Most of them do not know how to care for their teeth properly. The dental clinic addresses this problem in several ways.

Patients in the waiting area are taught how to properly brush and care for their teeth, and they are given toothbrushes. Then their teeth are cleaned by the volunteer dental hygienist in order to reduce the risk of cavities and infections.

The dental clinic will be in operation until August throughout the entire Togo Field Service. The dental teams work diligently every day extracting teeth, filling cavities and even constructing new teeth. It is estimated that several thousand people will be seen, most of whom will find relief from pain for the first time in their lives.

Beatrice Stoeckli, one of the patients, expressed her excitement at finally getting dental healing, “I didn't know how I was going to get dental care, so I was praying. When I heard the name of Mercy Ships, I said, the mercy of God is touching me”