Local dentist toTravel to Comitancillo, Guatemala

Dr. Joshua M. Souweine, a Victor resident, to make second trip to a remote area of GuatemalaFeb. 18-28, to provide free dental care to residentsROCHESTER, N.Y., Feb. 15, 2010 – Local dentist Joshua Souweine announced that he will be traveling as a volunteer to Guatemala once again as part of a small group of dentists from around the country to provide free dental care in one of the poorest regions of Central America.The sponsoring organization, Dentistry for All (www.dentistryforall.org), founded in 1995, works to change lives through dental education, prevention and corrective treatment. All participating dentists donate their time and services to provide treatment to those unable to access care. Each participant funds his or her own way to Guatemala and is encouraged to raise funds for supplies and equipment.About Comitancillo:Comitancillo is in one of the poorest and most remote regions of Guatemala. Prior to 1995, the area had been torn apart by 37 years of civil war. Nestled in the hot and arid mountains, Comitancillo is a municipality of about 60,000 people. In 15 years, 30 missions have been completed and over 12,000 people have received dental care with nearly 30,000 procedures performed. Last year alone, Dr. Souweine and his group of five dentists performed approximately 1,000 procedures on more than 300 patients. To date, Dentistry For All has sent approximately 300 volunteers who have worked nearly 100 volunteer weeks, treating those in some of the most remote and poor communities in the world where dental care is either non-accessible or simply unaffordable for those who need it most.About Dr. Souweine. Dr. Joshua M. Souweine graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a bachelor of science degree. He attended Indiana University School of Dentistry where he earned his doctorate of dental surgery. After finishing an additional year of education at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Dr. Souweine completed his residency at Strong Memorial Hospital.Dr. Souweine is a Clinical Instructor of Dentistry at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. On faculty at Strong Memorial Hospital and Highland Hospital, Dr. Souweine focuses his time treating developmentally disabled and physically challenged patients. He also assists at clinics in the Geneva and Sodus areas that focus their efforts on the under-served and migrant populations.A native of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in early 2006, after working at several private practices in the Rochester area, he opened his own practice, Calm Lake Dental, in Farmington, N.Y.