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The Belize Mission project which is spearheaded by retired American Doctor - Frank Whipps- has been ongoing to the past 19 years and the group of volunteers has worked across the country.

Gary Ayuso, Therapist
"It all began with a simple conversation with me and my friend Dr. Mark Johnson, a dentist from San Pedro. He was just telling me about the group that came and that they come every year for the past 20 years. I said to myself that they haven't come to Belize City. Belize City has needs as well, we are not wealthy. The Southside schools have kids that eat at the school and so to learn proper dental hygiene at this age - to me I consider it an important factor. They need to learn from a very young age."

Dr. Jane Graber, volunteer
"It's basically holes in the teeth, cavities and I think the cause of that is having sugar more frequently more than anything else. The fluoride that we are applying today makes the outside layer of the tooth harder than it would be naturally. It also modifies the bacteria that live in the mouth that would cause those holes in the teeth."

Monica Bodden
"So what else are you guys doing here at the school today?"

Dr. Jane Graber, volunteer
"What we are doing today is the fluoride project at this school but throughout the country of Belize we are doing restorative care; fillings, extractions, partial dentures, full dentures and we are going to 15 sites within Belize and in 2 weeks we will be back. We are actually volunteers from the Belize Mission group that has been coming to Belize for about 30 years. I've been coming for the last 10 years and I am Chicago Illinois USA. That's my hometown. I work all the way from Corozal to Placencia out to Seine Bight and of course in San Pedro and Banana Bank."

The group of volunteers attended to a total of two hundred and twenty five students this afternoon.