Happy New Year! In 2024, I had the opportunity to take some time off and travel to Guatemala to do some volunteer dentistry that supported the Common Hope mission in the UNESCO world heritage city of Antigua. Common Hope has a simple mission to provide educational opportunities, tools and resources to sponsor students in a region where 32% finish junior high school and 19% graduate from high school. By offering resources to the child, the whole family benefits with free medical, dental and social needs being met. Instead of the family pulling a kid out of school to help on the farm, the part we could play meeting their dental needs might improve an entire generation of readers, writers and lift the socioeconomic status in the area.
This was my 5th dental trip abroad and I plan to keep doing it into the future running on the currency of genuine smiles and gratitude from the local people. But also because it is not all work and no play. I learned of some local adventures while working and stayed around to hike up and camp next to Central America’s most active volcano, Acatenago, feeling it rumble all night and watching the eruptions over the clouds. It was an earth shaking experience, literally. Lake Atitlan was the next stop, a picturesque volcanic crater that has become a worldwide attraction with several beautiful villages and Mayan history on its shores.
2024 also marked my first full year at Pike Lake Dental and it’s been a thrill to be a part of such a wonderful team and the people we all serve. There have been lots of highlights in keeping up with lectures and workshops that has kept me interested in pursuing the highest quality of dentistry and care. Here’s to a wonderful 2025 with the best team anyone could ask for!
