It’s been 20 years since Alliance for Smiles was formed with the mission to transform the lives of children born with cleft lip and palate by providing free comprehensive treatment.
As we grew, so did our objectives which now includes training, equipping and empowering local medical providers to address the long-term needs of cleft patients.
To celebrate our 20th anniversary, we wanted to not just look back on our journey, but also the people who made our missions possible – the many volunteers who generously shared their time, experience and skills; the staff who work tirelessly behind the scenes and the board members and volunteers whose knowledge and expertise shape our future.
Mary Jensen
AfS Volunteer & Registered Dental Hygienist
In this interview, Mary Jensen, a dedicated volunteer and Registered Dental Hygienist, shares her inspiring journey with Alliance for Smiles. Having been on 19 missions, Mary highlights the crucial role of oral health education, her unique experiences on the ground, and the challenges faced while volunteering. She encourages others to take the leap and join AfS missions for a truly life-changing experience.
Read Mary’s full interview below:
What was it about AfS that made you first want to go on a mission? How many missions have you been on?
Mary Jensen: The desire to help. I wanted to use my skills as a Registered Dental Hygienist to help others. I want to share why oral health is so important to overall health. In January 2025, I will be going on my 20th mission trip with AFS.
As a volunteer dental hygienist, what does your role entail?
Mary Jensen: As the team Dental Hygienist, I feel my most important role is education. I want to share with both the children and their parents oral hygiene techniques that can make a huge difference in preventing oral disease. I provide dental cleanings, dental sealants, fluoride treatments as well as using silver diamine fluoride. I help coordinate the dental supplies and information for all the dental teams that go on AFS mission trips.
How different is volunteering for AfS compared to your day job? What kind of challenges did you face on a mission and how did you overcome them?
Mary Jensen: My current day to day work has me seeing my clients in memory care communities and as an ‘on call’ dental hygienist with my county public health department school programs. I love participating in AfS trips because it adds another dimension, as there is surgery taking place. Mission trips can be challenging. The most important thing is to stay flexible. You will not be working the same way as you do at home. Schedules can change. Be open to doing what is needed.
I always say on these trips it is not, ‘How are you today? But, How can I help you today?’ It is so important. The countless times when I learned that no one in the family had a toothbrush or that they were sharing one brush. My goal is to give the child and each family member a toothbrush. I ask each team member prior to a trip to ask their personal dentist for a donation of 12 brushes. This has worked great.
Is there any one story or case that has stood out to you during any of your missions?
Mary Jensen: There have been so many wonderful stories. In Egypt, we visited the 6000th child’s home and were able to visit the local school and provide toothbrushes and oral hygiene education. The kids were so excited!! In Vietnam, I was able to visit an orphanage to give the kids toothbrushes. I loved doing dental screenings, oral hygiene education and fluoride treatments outside under the mango tree in Ecuador!
What message do you have for anyone looking to volunteer with AfS?
Mary Jensen: My message to anyone interested in going on a mission with AfS is to just do it. Find a way to take time off from your job and use your skill set to help those in so much need. It is life changing!