St. Dominic's Dental Clinic Renovations complete

Greetings from Ndola, Zambia! We are thrilled to share the latest updates from our recent trip and to report on the progress at St. Dominic’s Dental Clinic. Thanks to your unwavering support, Wellness for Africa has been able to help the clinic operate more effectively, with improved resources and streamlined workflows.
Over the past thirteen years, we have transformed St. Dominic’s from a single-room clinic with limited staff and resources into a fully remodeled, two-room facility equipped with modern technology and staffed by local professionals year-round. This transformation would not have been possible without the generosity of donors like you and the invaluable contributions from partners such as Kerr Nobel, Envista, Mosaic Dental, and Metropolitan Endodontics.

This year’s dental team included Dr. Mittelsteadt and his wife, Lisa; Dr. Grutzner and his wife, Barb; and Betsy and Paul Roehr. From October 18 to 28, we worked alongside the local staff, providing hands-on support and participating in the ongoing Surgical Camp as needed. Years of dedicated fundraising by the Wellness for Africa team enabled us to implement essential upgrades at the clinic. These include new dental equipment, dental chairs, sterilizers, and an extra compressor-vacuum system, allowing both treatment rooms to operate simultaneously.

In partnership with district dental supervisor Sister Dr. Nasilele Simushi, we focused on enhancing the local clinic team’s skills in restorative procedures, extractions, endodontic therapy, and even implants—laying the groundwork for long-term sustainability. While extractions remain the most common treatment at the clinic, we are seeing an encouraging shift toward restorative care as well.

Looking ahead, we aim to broaden our reach by developing community-focused programs that extend beyond the clinic’s walls. For over a decade, the Wellness for Africa dental team has provided preventative care at St. Anthony’s Home for Vulnerable and Abandoned Children, an orphanage run by the Dominican Sisters that houses over 80 children. Our work there is ongoing, and we are committed to supporting these children’s dental health indefinitely.

Despite the progress, challenges remain. For over 50,000 residents in the Copperbelt region, St. Dominic’s is the nearest dental clinic—located 25 minutes by car or three hours on foot. Addressing this accessibility gap is also a priority for our future efforts.  We plan to launch preventive care initiatives at local schools run by the Sisters, including Barefoot, Nfinga, and Ntwange. An oral hygiene education program, preventative care, and sealant applications at these schools, making it possible to reach more than 600 students and empowering them to maintain healthy smiles. We’re hopeful by reaching out directly in the school setting and delivering preventative care directly to the children, a generational shift can begin to take hold in this community.
In closing, we’re pleased to report our mission to improve dental health for underserved children has been warmly received, and with your support, we can continue making a meaningful impact.

Contributions to go toward the purchase of supplies like toothbrushes and fluoride treatments will enable us to keep delivering high-quality dental care to the children and residents we serve. Every gift brings us closer to a brighter, healthier future for this Zambian community.

Thank you for being an essential part of this mission.