Dental volunteering - a time for reflection and a time for change

Dental volunteers and their NGOs may have the potential to make a significant and long-lasting contribution to global oral health. However, their traditional approach to volunteering in developing countries can be questioned as to its appropriateness and sustainability combined with potential harmful effects that it might bring to the local health system. This article reviews the positive and negative aspects of this approach to dental volunteering and examines possible changes that could be made to the prevailing volunteer paradigm.