It’s not a typical week at the office. Dr. John Kerwin, DDS, works most of the year in a well-appointed dental office in Warren, but each January he works much farther from home. This year he will be traveling in mid-January to Pedasi in Panama. He has been making annual trips overseas since 1999 to volunteer his time for those who cannot afford dental care.
The dentist has made trips to Panama and Nicaragua in previous years, working with Northeast Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (NEVOSH) which expanded beyond vision care. Volunteers pay their own travel and living expenses while overseas. It’s far from a pleasure trip. Some years a hot shower and a clean bed were hard to come by, and electricity is not always available, but it did not stop Dr. Kerwin from returning each year.
“I like going and helping people doing what I do.” Dr. Kerwin says it’s great to see a different part of the world and not worry about collecting money or dealing with insurance. All the NEVOSH services are given free. For the dental team overseas, taking teeth out is number one. He says he has seen many in pain, including some who have been suffering with teeth broken off at the gum line. The people they help do not have many options “A lot of the people, they’ve never seen a dentist before,” he says.
After the word gets out, the free clinic is incredibly busy. It’s not unusual for there to be a line of people waiting to get in, and they appreciate the care that is given. “It’s a very humbling experience in that you walk in and people are clapping.” Besides removing teeth, the team cleans teeth and does some fillings.
Dr. Kerwin says he sees considerably more people in a day than he would see in his normal practice. “Last year we saw just over 600 people in five days. “
Since the dentist got involved, he has organized an annual golf tournament to raise money for the cause. “I’m a golfer and every year I say I’m not going to do it again because it’s so much work. But it’s kind of my baby.” His wife, Cathie, and their daughter, Emily, also help out the day of the tournament.
Money raised from the tournament is used to provide supplies and equipment at the site, as well as translators to keep communication flowing. The group usually takes along two dental students from Boston University and the money also provides resources for the students’ travel expenses.
This year, Dr. Kerwin will be returning to the same location as last year, in Ped- asi. The dental team sets up in a school, ready from early in the morning to late in the day to help whoever walks in the door. In 2012 the team worked in Boca del Toros, Panama. Previous to 2012 Dr. Kerwin traveled with the team to Nicaragua, but the location was changed to Panama because of the lack of some of the basic necessities as well as complications involving government permissions in Nicaragua. Dr. Kerwin says he enjoys the trip to Panama, but the change was followed with some regrets. “It’s very unfortunate because we loved Nicaragua.”
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