Dr. Natasha Rockwell, a dedicated dentist from Rockwell Family Dentistry, recently returned from a transformative dental mission in the remote mountains outside El Progreso, Guatemala, with DIG—Dream. Invest. Grow.(dreaminvestgrow.org). DIG is a nonprofit organization that encourages and supports medical professionals to serve underserved indigenous populations in rural areas of Guatemala, who are in desperate need of dental care. Dr. Rockwell’s participation was a powerful reflection of that mission, delivering vital dental care to rural communities with limited access to healthcare.

El Progreso is located approximately 2.5 hours northeast of Guatemala City, surrounded by steep, green mountain ranges and winding rural roads that make access to medical services a challenge for many. From there, Dr. Rockwell and her team jumped in a pick-up truck another 30 minutes into the Guatemalan mountains to reach their treatment site, The Center of Hope—serving several small villages tucked into the rolling hills.

The rugged, beautiful terrain is marked by farmland, scattered homes, and footpaths traveled mostly on foot or by motorbike. Working out of a newly built, but still basic community dental clinic—Dr Rockwell and her team, apart of Smilist Dental lead by Dr. David Silverstrom of the Silverstrom Group, and nonprofit founders Geoff and Rita Doppenberg, treated around 250 patients over four intensive clinical days, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Many of those treated were women, children, and elderly who had never before been seen by dentist and have gone to bed for weeks or even months with untreated dental pain from severely decayed teeth with no hope of treatment or relief. Many traveled several hours by foot to the clinic, and then back home after waiting to be seen. Dr. Natasha was joined by an exceptional team of 3 other doctors, 2 assistants, and a hygienist. They performed hundreds of fillings, extractions, and some had their teeth cleaned for the first time in their lives.

Much of the mission’s clinical success was made possible, in part, by generous donations from Dr. Rockwell’s dental suppliers – Dental City and SDI, whose support ensured the team had the materials necessary to provide high-quality care in challenging conditions. “We were able to bring not just compassion, but clinical excellence into a setting that had almost nothing,” said Dr. Rockwell. In addition to treating patients, the mission also focuses on replacing fire stoves in the Mayan adobe huts. Many of these huts are comprised of 1 or 2 rooms, and are occlupied by families up to 10 people with very poor ventilation. The introduction of smokeless stoves have resulted in signficant reductions of respiratory illnesses and wood consumption — the typical amount of wood used on a daily basis now lasts several weeks.

The team’s clinic treated several Mayan villages in the heart of Mayan community of Valencia, known for its rich agricultural traditions and vibrant, close-knit communities. Reflecting on the experience, Dr. Rockwell, who practices at Rockwell Dentistry—a family-run dental office with locations in Hamilton and Middletown, New Jersey—called it one of the most rewarding moments of her career. Founded by her parents, Drs. Dawn and Alexander Rockwell, the practice is known for its warm, comprehensive, family approach to dental care. “This mission reinforced what our practice stands for: excellent clinical care paired with a compassion that goes beyond the chair.”