Smiles Across Borders: Dental Mission in Nha Trang Vietnam

Vietnam was the very first stop in my family's month long trip to Asia this summer. We were very excited knowing we get to meet my dad's side of the family as well as our long-time friends. Granted, we all are from Florida, but there's something about meeting each other in another part of the world!

When my family learned that our family friends are going to do a dental mission in Vietnam, we were stoked! Every year, they would travel to different countries and basically provide free dental services to kids and families who have no access to dental care. They do this as part of their nonprofit organization, Ngo Borders. Now, it just happened that this year, they organized it in Vietnam at the same month we have planned to go for vacation and therefore, we just made it work that our dates lined up.

We flew to Nha Trang, Vietnam to meet them with the rest of the volunteers. It was a 3 day event so a lot of preparation and planning took place to get everything coordinated.

The first day was in Chua An Tuong Temple where everyone has a role and participated in every opportunity to assist.

Dr. Margie Ngo, Dr. Andy Huy Nguyen and Dr. Vu Ngo checked the teeth of patients and performed extractions as needed. We on the other hand assisted by holding flashlights, giving out medicines and toothbrushes afterwards and anything in between.

Day 2 was very similar but this time, it was in a clinic in Tram Xa Y Te Vinh Than Nha.

It was hot and humid but that didn't stop anybody.

Day 3 was a simple day teaching a group of kids on how to properly brush their teeth. Unfortunately, we weren't able to join the group since we had to catch a flight back to Saigon.

This was the very first time I had done a dental mission and volunteered with a nonprofit organization. I love how organized and exciting it was to try something I’ve never done before.

The experience is so profound, it is difficult to summarize in a blog. It might look small on pictures, but our hearts are full. Enjoy the video below as we try to show you our 3 days experience in Nha Trang in less than 2 minutes.

Overall, this was a great learning opportunity for us not only on how to help other people but also to learn more about Vietnam and their culture. We bonded as family and had fun along the way. We had a life-changing experience and this will be the start of joining more of their dental missions in the future.