Dentist and Physician Exchange Visit May 2009

Hi Carol,

Van and I are finally back from our trip!  We thank God for the opportunity to serve him in Vietnam at the various orphanages.   It was certainly a growing opportunity for both Van and I.  We spent 1 day at Be Tho orphanage, 4 days at Thien Binh orphanage and 2 days at Doctor Hang's clinic. 

In summary, Van did 118 dental exams, 39 fillings, 50 teeth extractions, 119 sealants, and whitened 6 teeth.  There is still so much to be done!  But that's all we were able to do on this trip.  We have TONS of photos from the trip that we are still organizing.

We are very much interested in staying in contact with you and all of the people we met through Vital Links (Doctor Hang, Van, the people at the orphanages) and look to come back in a few years after I finish my residency program.  Doctor Hang expressed interest in us helping to develop an educational materials to teach about dental health.  I'm sure there are other dentists/doctors that we will meet in the next few years who could be interested in doing 1-2 week long trips like we did and Van and I could help answer questions since we've been there and now have a better idea of what to expect and what type of resources/equipment that they already have at the orphanages.

Thanks so much for all of your help in organizing this trip. 

Love,
Van and Lisa Dang