Project Location: Tondo, Philippines
Project Code: HDP-PTT1123
In the urban and highly disadvantaged communities of Tondo, Manila, dental care “takes a back seat” sponsored families’ list of priorities, our site staff say. Both children and adults have untreated cavities. One of the most often cited reasons for children to miss school is toothache.
Tondo site director Eunice says the “sad reality is that most of our sponsored children and families only go to the dentists when they can no longer endure the pain.” Left untreated, issues of tooth decay and gum disease can develop into more serious, potentially dangerous, infections. They’re left with no choice but tooth extraction.
The Tondo sponsor site has been partnering with Chalice since 2019 to reach one goal: Zero Cavities. The Zero Cavities program provides sponsored children and their families with dental treatments to save teeth and spread education about oral health and build life-long healthy habits. Their dental partners are the Filipino-Chinese Dental Foundation.
In the first three years of the program, site staff saw tremendous progress, but they were sent back to square one during the pandemic lockdowns. Since March 2023, the team have completed procedures, provided ongoing care, or in-home care for 1,738 children and 244 adults.
While sponsored children receive ongoing treatments, the dental team have extended services to siblings. The Site also runs a Dental Home Program for children and babies. Daycare students in some neighbourhoods receive quarterly fluoridization for a full year. Their parents also receive training to learn proper oral health care.
The Tondo team is extending the program for another three years, until 2027. In that time, they will conduct 4,300 treatments per year, totaling 12,900. Of those, 5400 patients are sponsored, and the rest are family members or daycare students.
A dedicated Dentist Assistant will coordinate scheduling with the Tondo field workers, help the dentists during treatments, complete reporting and documentation. There’s a team of seven dentists, and a pool of hygienists supporting based on their availability.
The total budget for the three-year extension is $169,281.40 CAD. This covers the salary for the Dentist Assistant, all supplies used in the dental clinic, and a small honorarium for the participating dentists.
Budget in Canadian Funds: $169,281.40 CAD
Please note that any donations that exceed the request will be used to fund other community projects that may arise.
