Dr. Greg Swartz comes from a rich background in dentistry. So much so in fact, he called his dental practice “Doc and Doc Dental” after his dad and great-grandfather—both enjoyed long careers as dentists. Based in Winston Salem, North Carolina, Dr. Swartz wanted to keep his father and his great-grandfather’s professional legacy alive.
With a set of grown twin daughters, his wife Jan, and even grandchildren (one of which is looking toward dental school), it might sound like Dr. Swartz has a pretty full life; but about 20 years ago, Dr. Swartz knew he wanted to do more.
That’s when he found an opportunity to travel to Rwanda through his church. The first year, he did general humanitarian work. Then a couple of years in, Dr. Swartz made connections with government officials to procure a space to see patients in a nearby hospital, and he got to work offering free dental cleaning and dental work to underprivileged Rwandans. At that time, the Rwandan people were fresh out of a terrifying, traumatizing, and destructive civil war that left many dead, and many more injured, sick, without homes, without family, and without crucial health and dental care.
Advertising dental services first through their church, and then through word of mouth at the hospital, it wasn’t long before Dr. Swartz’s yearly two-week mission trip was filled from morning to night with patients eager to be seen. The best part? Many of them throughout the years have become consistent, repeat patients.
When asked what the most impactful procedure he performs on his mission trips to Rwanda is, Dr. Swartz says, “I think the procedure, as simple as it sounds, that makes the biggest impact on people’s lives is being able to clean their teeth on a consistent basis—or at least a more consistent basis than what they’d normally get, which is sometimes once a year—but you wouldn’t believe the difference it makes in their long-term oral health.” He adds, “I also love being able to do a root canal when someone really needs it, because it means it will be taking that person out of pain, which is very fulfilling.”
In fact, Dr. Swartz sees a group of about 40 people from a nearby town called Ziti every single year for cleanings. On a recent trip, his group of seven volunteers (another dentist from Guatemala, two dental hygienists, three volunteers to teach English, and others) were able to visit with the people in Ziti. “It’s amazing how fulfilling it has been to see how much better health they have from seeing us regularly throughout the years," says Dr. Swartz. "In fact, when we visited them in Ziti and saw them in comparison with their neighbors, who we unfortunately hadn’t had the opportunity to treat, the difference was remarkable. The group we had treated consistently for years were just so clearly healthier all around. It was incredible to see, and it made me wish we could reach even more of the population—but we do our best to see as many people as possible every trip that we go.”
Those trips to Rwanda, when counting his most recent one this past July, now equal out to 18—as they had to take three years off during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Dr. Swartz doesn’t see an endpoint in the near future. “Thanks to donations from people and companies like Ultradent, as well as funds from a group called FOI (Foundation Outreach International), we’ve been able to expand our volunteer group, obtain three operatories in different sites around the city, and continue to return year after year. I hope someday I can take one of my grandchildren to carry on the work.”
Every year at the end of the trip, the group takes a couple of days to see new sites around the country. For example, they hopped over to Akagera National Park from their humanitarian home-base of Kigali (the capital and largest city in Rwanda) to see Africa’s famous wildlife. But it’s not the excursions, the wildlife, or the stunning scenery that keeps Dr. Swartz coming back.
He says, “What going to Rwanda year after year does for me is it makes me a more grounded, better person with a larger and better perspective on the people of the world. That’s the gift that Africa and its people have given back to me, and it keeps me wanting to go back. It’s so fulfilling and it’s a way that I feel like I can make a small difference.”
To learn more about Ultradent’s humanitarian support of independent missions, as well as our humanitarian donations and work around the world, click here.