Donde no hay dentista

“The health of teeth and gums, along with general health, will improve only when people take the lead in caring for themselves.”

— Where There Is No Dentist

An invaluable resource for community health workers and educators around the world, Where There Is No Dentist uses clear language and easy-to-follow instructions on dental care. This guide’s broad focus makes it an invaluable resource, covering preventive care of teeth and gums, diagnosis and treatment of common dental problems, and oral health and HIV.

Where There is No Dentist uses straightforward language and careful instructions to explain how to examine patients, diagnose common dental problems, make and use dental equipment, use local anesthetics, place fillings, and remove teeth. It includes a special chapter on oral health and HIV/AIDS that provides dental workers with a detailed, well-illustrated discussion of the unique dental problems faced by people living with HIV/AIDS, and appropriate treatment.

The 2012 edition features a new section on how to do Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART), a permanent way to fill cavities without the use of a dental drill that was first pioneered in Tanzania in the mid-’80s and is now used in many parts of the world. In addition, Hesperian has updated the information on other dental training materials and resources, and where to get dental supplies.

Where There is No Dentist is an important companion to the newest edition of Where There Is No Doctor.

View Sample Pages Online

Table of Contents (PDF)

Chapter 3 : School Activities for Learning About Teeth and Gums (PDF)

Praise for Where There Is No Dentist

“By giving a well-balanced mixture of illustrations and simple, succinct text in layman's terms, the book provides valuable, hands-on advice for the most important oral health issues: oral health promotion in the community and basic oral care in low-resource settings."
— Habib Benzian, World Dental Federation (FDI)

"As a nurse educator, I can say that the Where There Is No Dentist text by the Hesperian Foundation has been an excellent health resource text for us. Both its content, its diagrams and the educational level it was written for, have proven to be extremely useful. The content has been very practical in teaching lay Brazilians about oral hygiene and health care, as well as for identifying when oral and dental health problems exist and when and how to refer people to a dentist. It is rare that excellent health texts like this are written for the lay individuals."
— Janette Ryan, Health Director, Project AmaZon Mission [PAZ], Brazil

“[Where There is No Dentist is] a full on do-it-yourself guide for community health workers, educators and individuals on how to diagnose common dental problems, handle dental equipment, use local anesthetics, place fillings without drilling and remove teeth. The book uses simple instructions to make dentistry as accessible as can be. The new edition even includes a chapter on oral health and HIV/AIDS, as well as a guide to treat the dental problems commonly faced by people living with HIV/AIDS.”
— Benjamin Joffe-Walt, Chief of Staff, Change.org, USA