In Africa, toothbrushing is not a priority for families struggling to survive, and dental care is often nonexistent, says Thobile Mushwana, a Mandela fellow who wants to start a system of oral health care throughout Africa. He visited RSDM las month to learn more about running a clinic to treat underserved patients.

RSDM’s dental missions reach underserved patients in the U.S. and overseas, often in places where there are no dentists for many miles and where poverty prevents patients from buying necessities like a toothbrush and toothpaste. Students, faculty and alumni embark on three yearly missions over Spring Break, and this year was no exception.