People

Spreading smiles in Ghana

JoAnn Shmulsky undoubtedly has countless wonderful memories from the past 30 years she has spent working in the dental field. But she says it’s a trip this past year to Ghana that will live with her forever.

JoAnn Shmulsky (second from left) took her 30 years’ worth of expertise in the dental industry to Ghana, where she helped teach preventative care to children.

A dental assistant checks a child’s teeth during the Hearts of the Father Outreach program in Ghana.

A child is all smiles after a consultation with the dentist. Only 26 of 297 children needed surgery or restorations, due in part to their diet, which consists of no refined sugars.

“There comes a time in life when you realize there is a responsibility to give back to society—a need to show appreciation for all the knowledge you’ve acquired over the years,” she says.

JoAnn joined her efforts with that of Hearts of the Father Outreach, a ministry based in Sheffield, Massachusetts, which provides a home for orphans and distributes supplies and gifts to children in the rural bush of Africa.

“I joined this team to develop an opportunity to teach oral hygiene to these children,” JoAnn says. “As time progressed, I realized I could contribute much more than hygiene instruction and a toothbrush. I started working on options and put together a plan to provide preventative dental care, including cleanings, sealants, and fluoride to the children served by the Outreach ministry and others in the capital region of Ghana.

“As my vision for the program grew, I reached out to the dental community. I was excited to witness the strength and compassion of this group of professionals. They were receptive in helping this adventure come about. All the supplies needed to make an outreach possible began to materialize.”

Knowing that one of the objectives of the Berkshire Medical Center Hospital, where she works in a dental residency program, is to understand the oral health needs of communities and to engage in community service, JoAnn turned to them for support—and got it. The hospital offered use of its portable units and donated 300 toothbrushes. Things were moving right along.

“It now seemed I had all the necessities to make a difference in the lives of many African children,” she says.

With her dream close to becoming reality, JoAnn had one final hurdle to cross: funding to cover shipping costs. But it didn’t take her long to mark that off her to-do list.

“I immediately turned to my Kiwanis Club of Sheffield, Massachusetts,” she says. “They have the highest standards in helping children of the world. Upon telling them of my outreach project, they raised the vote to the members and supported me 100 percent. This gift inspired me to reach out to the Kiwanis Club of Accra, in Ghana. This attempt to sister two clubs from different parts of the world to work together for one purpose—to help children—I believe will be a great partnership for the future.”

JoAnn and another dentist visited four different orphanages. They treated 297 children in two weeks—and only 26 required oral surgery or restorations. She says the trip was unlike anything she has done before.

 “Indeed it was an experience,” she said. “It was by far the best experience I have ever had. I learned that wherever you travel in this world, there are others just like you, ready and willing to make a difference in a child’s life and to learn from one another in the process. Though I set out on this mission to give back for my blessings and to make something in the world better, I came to realize the beauty of my professional comrades, Kiwanis, and the hospital. I learned that a small community can change the world. Now I understand what it takes to make a difference.”