MCI Faculty Member Offers Dental Care and Hope
Key Takeaways
Vicki Brett, Dental Assisting Program Director at ECPI's Virginia Beach campus, leads dental care missions serving underserved populations globally. Her work demonstrates how dental professionals can provide sustainable care through direct service and training local educators.
- Vicki Brett chairs the Dental Care Project for Montero Medical Missions, a non-profit interfaith humanitarian organization
- On a 20-day mission to the Philippines and Mongolia, the team provided dental care to over 900 patients combined
- The mission trained local college and university students to become oral health educators for sustainable community impact
- Brett provides ongoing support through medical and dental supplies and online education classes to trained local educators
- Her approach focuses on sustainable care rather than temporary relief to underserved populations
Last year, Vicki Brett signed on to chair the Dental Care Project for Montero Medical Missions, a non-profit interfaith humanitarian organization that creates sustainable healthcare projects throughout the world. After nearly a year of careful preparation, the Virginia Beach Campus’ Dental Assisting Program Director has just completed her first mission trip.
Her 20-day journey began in the Philippines where she and her team saw more than 500 patients, performing extractions and surgery. From there they continued to Mongolia, serving more than 400 patients. The care they provided was essential but it’s what they left behind that could have the greatest impact. Throughout the trip, they met with local college and university students and began training them to become oral health educators. “Approximately half the world’s population has serious dental health problems, including tooth decay, periodontitis, and tooth loss,” says Brett. “This is one way we can provide not just temporary relief, but sustainable care to undeserved populations like these.”
Although the mission team has returned, the good work continues. Montero Medical Missions will keep sending medical and dental supplies and the oral health educators will continue their own education and development via online classes led by Brett. “This has been a life-changing experience. Despite the healthcare debates we see in the headlines, America is incredibly blessed with quality medical and dental care and I want others to have the same thing,” she says. “I just can’t stop thinking about the people I met. I left a part of my heart over there and I am definitely going back.”
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