CDA Essentials 2014 • Volume 1• Issue 5

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29 Volume 1 Issue 5 |
Issues and People
Speroway’s next medical/dental mission to El Salvador
takes place November 8–16, 2014. To show your support,
you can contact Speroway, the ICD or Drs. Cottrell and
Brode directly. “We’re always open to anybody who is
interested in helping in any capacity,” says Dr. Cottrell.
“We can answer any questions and get you into a situation
you feel most comfortable with.”
You can support by donating your time, money or
equipment. The team welcomes any contribution of good
quality equipment they can use on their missions.
will be able to deliver a high standard
of care on their own without our help.”
“We’re also trying to teach them the
importance of sterilization, because
we’ve witnessed the washing of
instruments in soap and water,” says
Dr. Cottrell. “We can only treat so many
patients in a week. By teaching the
local dentists to follow certain safety
protocols, we can help patients we
don’t get the chance to see.”
Getting involved
Drs. Cottrell and Brode urge dental
organizations and schools to use
their broad influence to inform their
members and students of ways they
can get involved and the benefits of
these missions. They believe that if
schools partnered with organizations
to offer such programs for students
at the beginning of their careers, it
would enhance and broaden students’
perspectives and positively affect their
own careers and the profession.
They strongly encourage their
colleagues to get involved in any way
they feel comfortable, and remind
the community that there is need
everywhere—not just abroad. “You
don’t have to go to another country,”
says Dr. Brode. “There are many areas
of need here in Canada. I think people
sometimes forget that you can help
underserviced individuals in situations
of high need right here in your own
community.”
“True happiness comes from helping
other people,” says Dr. Cottrell. “There
is nothing nicer than seeing a person
who has had their dentition riddled
with caries, and to be able to have
them look in a mirror and see a
beautiful smile at the end of it. That’s
all the gratification you could ever
want.” a
Article by Avery Friedlander
Ms. Friedlander is an undergraduate
journalism student at Ryerson University
in Toronto and an intern at CDA.
The International College
of Dentists (ICD)
The ICD is a leading honorary dental
organization dedicated to the
recognition of outstanding professional
achievement andmeritorious
service and the continued progress
of the profession for the benefit of
humankind. Established in 1928, the
College has over 12,000members in
over 122 countries. It is the oldest and
largest international honour society
for dentists in the world. The College is
organized into 20 Sections and Canada
is Section 2.
The Canadian Section’s humanitarian
arm is theWilliam J. Spence ICD
Memorial Foundation, which is a
registered charity for tax purposes. The
Foundation receives donations from
the Fellows of the Canadian Section
andmatches themwith applications
fromdental humanitarian projects
requesting funding. This year, the
Canadian Section Board of Regents,
on the Foundation’s recommendation,
authorized funding in the amount of
$31,000 for 6 projects: the Portable
Ottawa Dental Service for treatment of
the needy; the Village of Hope project
in Kitwe, Africa; the Speroway project in
El Salvador; theMedOutreach project
in Africa; the Semiahmoo – Philippines
project for school children; and the
Semiahmoo – Peru project.
Currently, Dr. Randall Croutze is
president of the Canadian Section
and serves as vice-president of the
CDA Board of Directors. The Canadian
Section website is
Dr. Donna Brode
Photos: Tim Fallis