This is Why COTA Brings Dentists on Our Teams

Five years ago, the COTA board made the decision to add a dental component to our annual teams. Our initial thought was that this would benefit our surgical cleft patients, who frequently have teeth growing in their palates. 
Dental care for the rural poor is scarce in Guatemala. As with most developing countries, foods high in sugar are less expensive than nutritious items, making conditions shown in this photo all too common.
We have been fortunate to be able to continue this service thanks to our volunteer dentists who take a week of unpaid vacation leave to travel with us.