Rural India Benefits from Touro's Dental Care

The Spark Behind the Mission—A Dental Chair in an Alley

The idea for the trip began with Dr. Weber’s son, who was volunteering in India during a gap year. While visiting a slum with Gabriel Project Mumbai, he noticed a functional dental chair sitting unused in an alleyway.

“My son called me and said, ‘Wow, Dad, you should come here and volunteer doing dentistry,’” recalled Dr. Weber with a laugh.

Months later, when Jacob Sztockman, head of Gabriel Project Mumbai, visited New York, he met with Dr. Weber. They discussed the serious dental needs faced by underserved Indian communities. Soon after, Dr. Weber connected with Alan Rosenberg, head of global outreach at Touro, and plans for a mission trip quickly came together.

“We had to do it quickly because of the weather—once monsoon season starts, travel becomes difficult,” Dr. Weber explained.

A First Step

Due to timing and board exam pressures, only one student was able to join the trip. Dan Avshalomov, who has a non-traditional background, was a natural fit. After serving in the Israeli Defense Forces, he ran a dental laboratory before enrolling in dental school.

“The hardest part for me was leaving my family,” said Avshalomov, who has five daughters. His oldest had just started college.

The team set up operations about four hours outside of Mumbai in a region with little to no access to medical or dental care. One hospital serves the area’s 180,000 residents.

“We didn’t know exactly what we’d be facing,” said Dr. Weber. “Only that there was really no access to proper medical or dental care.”

Care in Challenging Conditions

Each day, the team saw around 60 patients at Gabriel Project Mumbai’s site. In total, they treated 180 individuals ranging in age from 5 to 80. They screened patients for general dental health and oral cancer. Those in immediate need were referred to dental centers in Mumbai, and five patients with suspected cancerous lesions were earmarked for further evaluation. Patients needing follow-up care were recorded by helpers in the village and will be contacted during a future mission.

“Dental care in India was a different world,” said Avshalomov. “I used to get frustrated in the clinic when we’d have to delay procedures because we needed insurance approval,” he explained. “But seeing what patients endure in India made me appreciate what we have here. Dentists in India can only work with what they have—and that typically means doing extractions without X-rays or aspiration needles. Here, we might see three or four patients a day. In India, we tried to see 30 to 40.”

One of the most severe cases Avshalomov encountered involved a full-mouth extraction due to carcinoma.

“I was amazed by the pain tolerance I witnessed,” he said. “Patients came to us with cases we’d rate as having severe pain, but they didn’t show it. They just continued functioning.”

Dr. Weber echoed the sentiment. “There was a lot of attrition, wear, and hopeless teeth—extensive tooth decay—but surprisingly little expression of pain. Maybe because of nerve death.”

Partnerships for the Future

The team also spent a day at SMBT Dental School in Nasik, India, meeting with the dean and departmental heads. They shared knowledge and observed procedures, including extractions in the oral surgery department. Dr. Weber hopes to build on the initial success of this mission by expanding TCDM’s presence in India.

For further information, to become involved, and to join upcoming trips, please contact:
Dr. Alan Rosenthal, Assistant Dean, TCDM Division of Touro Global Health and Community Outreach, at theofficeofglobalhealth@touro.edu.