3 Days. 120 Oral Exams. 80 Extractions. 30 Cleanings.

Working in partnership with the local NGO Gabriel Project Mumbai, the team set up a temporary clinic in an unused building and provided screenings and emergency dental care over three days. Services included extractions, scaling, restorative procedures, and diagnostic care for patients suffering from severe and long-neglected dental conditions. The building had no lights, suction or water, with sparse electricity and the team relied on portable chairs, sterilized instruments, and headlamps for light. Many patients arrived in significant pain, often with severely decayed or broken teeth. For most, it was their first encounter with dental care.

“There was no traditional clinic setup,” said Dr. Robert Weber, who supervised the trip. (Dr. Weber’s son discovered a working dental chair in the slums of Mumbai and that inspired the initial mission.) “The students had to build the workflow themselves—where instruments went, how patients moved through, how to work without light or suction.” Nurses working with the NGO assisted with sterilization, blood pressure checks, and medical histories, while translators helped communicate with patients from surrounding villages. Working in close partnership with supervisors from the SMBT Institute of Dental Sciences and Research, a portable X-ray unit was used when possible, and two residents—one in oral surgery and one in restorative dentistry—assisted during clinical work.

Over the three-day period, the team conducted approximately 120 exams and performed 80 tooth extractions and 30 oral cleanings. Many patients arrived in significant pain, often with severely decayed or broken teeth. For most, it was their first encounter with dental care.

“People would come in and point to the area that hurt,” Dr. Weber said. “There’s no access to preventive care. If they do seek help, it’s usually medication and no follow-up.”

One patient returned over two consecutive days to have 13 teeth extracted. Others hesitated due to local beliefs that extractions—particularly in the upper jaw—can affect eyesight.

Third-year student Yoni Suyunov said the experience was very different from clinical training in New York. “At school, we might see four patients a day,” he said. “Here, patients were coming continuously. By the third day, we knew the questions to ask, the X-rays to request, and how to manage the flow ourselves.”

Dental student Khoi Tam Nguyen said working with limited equipment sharpened decision-making. “There was no backup,” he said. “You had to rely on your training and be confident in your diagnosis.”

During the trip, the team identified a child with a severe oral infection and swelling near the airway. Faculty members coordinated an emergency referral to a hospital.

“That moment really stayed with me,” Nguyen said. “It showed how important access to care is and why serving underserved communities matters.”

As the only female dental student on the trip Monica Mourad appreciated the female dental team she worked work. “Meeting and working alongside the all-women Indian dental team from SMBT was incredibly inspiring. It felt empowering and affirming to be part of a global community of women committed to improving health care access.”

Dr. Weber said the experience pushes students beyond what traditional clinical settings can offer. “There’s no other environment where they’re dropped into a situation like this and have to make it work,” he said. “They learn quickly—and they learn together.”

Suyunov said the trip also reshaped his sense of perspective. “We’re so focused on our own lives in New York, and everyone has their own problems,” he concluded. “But when you see how other people live and how limited their access to care is, it makes you appreciate what we have and why this work matters.”

On the heels of this success, TCDM’s Office of Global Health and Community Outreach, a division of Touro University, looks forward to expanding its global health mission trips in 2026 and beyond.