“I’ve always wanted to travel, so why not travel and do what I love, which is helping other people be able to smile,” said Alexandra M. Shenk, one of four students in the Global Experience: Oral Healthcare Field Experience class. Shenk, of Jonestown, graduated from Penn College with an associate degree in dental hygiene in May and is pursuing the college’s online bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene.

Her classmates were Rachel A. Doyle, of Lincoln University; Brittany N. Fegley, of Bath; and Isabel M. Horst, of Wernersville.

The group stayed near Sosua, a once-thriving family vacation destination, and traveled to villages served by CUPS Mission. They learned that many Dominicans live on less than $2 a day.

The experience was eye-opening: One day they hiked 3 miles up a steep trail to reach a mountaintop village, with the day’s supplies divvied among a donkey’s saddle bags and their own backpacks; on another day, they provided dental care on a basketball court; each day they set up a clinic using the furnishings at hand, worked in the tropical climate without air conditioning, and saw how a lack of nutritious food, basic oral hygiene supplies or knowledge about oral care have affected some children’s teeth — but not their joy.

“I’ve never seen this kind of lifestyle,” said Doyle, who is starting her second year in Penn College’s dental hygiene program. So far, those she has treated in the college’s Dental Hygiene Clinic have had prime dental care and been taught to care for their mouths. “I think seeing the children’s teeth really made me realize what some people face on a day-to-day basis. These children have brand-new teeth in their mouth, but they’re already rotted or they’re already past repair. And I think it’s really important to see that some people do have needs that aren’t met.”

Shenk had experienced a glimpse of that during the spring semester, when the college’s Community Dental Health class visited River Valley Health & Dental, a community health care clinic in Williamsport.

“It really opened my eyes because not everyone has the accessibility and financial means to get proper dental treatment,” Shenk said. “It made me want to come here (to the Dominican) even more to help others who can’t afford treatment.”

The group cleaned teeth, and, where needed, applied silver diamine fluoride to arrest decay, then filled the decayed area with glass ionomer. The tooth-colored substance slowly releases fluoride into the teeth to help re-mineralize them and prevent further decay.

The treatment plan was a change from previous years, when the group instead placed sealants on teeth to prevent cavities.

“Not only was it more productive in the number of patients we treated, but it also has been proven to be more effective,” said Patricia A. Durand, part-time instructor of dental hygiene and a chaperone on the journey.

“This week has taught me a lot and shown me that people come from all different types of situations,” said Horst, who graduated with an associate degree in May and is pursuing her bachelor’s in dental hygiene. As the afternoon clinic wound down in Alto de la Jagua — the mountaintop village — she joined children in races to solve Rubik’s cubes.

Making the experience fun for the children, who may otherwise be anxious about opening their mouths to the strangers, is an important part of the care. The group also provided free toothbrushes and a lesson — with the help of an interpreter — in proper brushing technique. In Alto de la Jagua, the students taught adults how to keep their children’s teeth healthy from birth.

“My primary goal is to educate them, because if they don’t understand why they’re developing dental caries (cavities), we can keep going every year, but we’re going to keep seeing decay,” said Rhonda J. Seebold, part-time instructor of dental hygiene at the college, who teaches the Global Experience class.

This summer’s trip marked the 15th time Seebold has led students on a journey to a third-world country to provide oral care and inspire students to continue finding ways to serve others. Before making trips to the Dominican Republic, she led study abroad classes to Nicaragua.

Alumni of those experiences continue to make time to join the current students in serving the Dominican communities.

“I have always wanted to help others, and this trip helps so many families and communities,” said Claudia D. Friskey, of Prospect Park, who made the trip as a student in 2023 and returned as an alumna in 2024. “A big part of why I wanted to come back this year was to experience the joy on kids’ faces when they saw a familiar face. Girls who have been coming for years prior had many connections with the children that I was so excited to have myself this year. There’s nothing more heartwarming than when a child smiles at you and gives you the biggest hug for doing something we may see as miniscule.”

Seebold and Durand love watching students experience that joy.

“They think they are going to serve these children — and they are,” Seebold said. “They come away saying, ‘But I feel like we got more from them than we gave.'”

“It really makes you feel helpful to see that you are making a difference,” Doyle said.

“Definitely, I would say, for other students, even if you don’t think that you’re ever going to travel, I highly recommend taking this class,” Shenk said. “One: It counts toward your bachelor’s, and two: It’s just great to see that there are other people in the world, and it’s an experience that you’ll never be able to forget.”

“Every year I say that it’s the best group of students that we ever had,” said Durand, who has been assisting as a chaperone since 2018. “And I have to repeat that same remark again! This group of hygiene students, alumni and faculty was tremendous. Everyone gave 100% — and more. I keep returning because I love the people and feel that the care we provide makes a difference in their life.”