Cusco is the capital of the region and province of the same name in the center of the Peruvian Andean highlands. It lies at an altitude of over 3400 meters and is home to over half a million people in the metropolitan area. Here it is obvious how poor dental and oral hygiene is in rural areas. This is due to the lack of a healthy diet, easy access to junk food and a lack of awareness of the associated consequences. Ivoclar Joy also makes a contribution here and offers children in the region in particular a perspective through local help.
In December 2022, project lead Dr. Tatiana Repetto-Bauckhage, Head of Universities and DSO Global Education, traveled to the Marampaqui district on the outskirts of the city for the first time. Stony roads lead past trout and guinea pig farms to the “Centro Médico”, the health center, which also has a small dental practice. Local patients walk for three hours to get medical treatment there.
As part of Ivoclar Joy, Dr. Tatiana Repetto-Bauckhage treats pupils from Cusco, Ocongate (2.5 hours from Cusco) and surrounding regions together with project supervisor Dr. Ezequias Rodrigues and local specialists. The team regularly hands over materials, demonstrates working methods with Ivoclar products and carries out treatments. In 2023, also a joint aid campaign was organized with representatives from the Ministry of Health, the “Corazón de Jesús” dental clinic and the San Antonio Abad University in Cusco. Ivoclar Joy regularly provides information at various schools, carries out treatments, hands over materials and demonstrates working methods with Ivoclar products.