Detailed description
In Nicaragua there are 6 dentists for every 10,000 people - most people go to the dentist only when they have an abscessed tooth to have it pulled. Preventative dental care such as cleaning and sealing children's teeth to prevent cavities is almost unknown. Good oral hygiene is a simple way to improve overall health and prolong life. For this project, members of the Rotary Club of Ciudad Sandino collaborated with members of Rotaract Metropolitano Leon and young people who had participated in the Youth Leadership Academy to teach good oral hygiene & water chlorination practices and hand out healthy mouth kits: tooth brushes, tooth paste & soap in rural homes. The activity targeted homes with no access to potable water, emphasizing water chlorination with parents & oral hygiene with children. A total of 950 kits were handed out by 22 volunteers who were empowered learning to train elders & were able to share social time together as well, strengthening urban-rural youth relationships.