Mission trip
Once a year Smile Outreach Foundation volunteers travel to different countries to provide free dental work. Locations vary from year to year but we are committed to providing three years’ free dental service to each site. Dental inventories are funded by volunteers and fundraising events. SOF will always have appropriately insured personnel included in all projects.
At the start of the day the head nurse and dentist will decide on the set up of each work station, and a work schedule will be created so everyone has a chance to experience different roles. Volunteers undertake roles such as pre-operative, dental nurse, post-operative, sterilisation and instruments (more detailed information is in the Volunteer section).
Volunteers are responsible for securing their own flights to and from the operational base of each project, and or the cost of accommodation which will generally be secured in advance of the project.
“The mission was a beautiful experience that I will forever treasure. I want to volunteer so I took this opportunity to do it and I'm really grateful I have.
The feeling of giving back to the people and kids who needs the health care is very rewarding and seeing them smile was the best part of my experience.
I have made long term friends on this trip as well and will always cherish the bond I have made with each individual volunteer and dentist.
Thank you for the amazing opportunity and I will be doing this again in the future.”
- Victoria Manoloros, 2026 Mission Volunteer
“Thank you, Vietnam for a life-changing week
What an unforgettable experience it was to give back to my culture and heritage through Smile Outreach Foundation
Over 600 kids treated across 3 different schools in the Binh Thuan and Lam Dong provinces. The impact of our dentistry extended to so much more than just teeth. Most mornings started with a 5am bus ride to a rural school where we’d set up our clinic for the day’s operations. We saw primary schoolers and children with disabilities. Kids who didn’t want perfect aesthetics, just for the pain to go away. Often we worked until day turned to night, making sure every kid could be seen, heard and treated.
Despite needing to pack it all up and do it again after a long day, we never felt tired in the way that mattered. It was in our collaborative team effort that this whole thing worked, every hand mattered, every role counted.
Thank you to all the dentists, oral health therapists, dental assistants and everyone involved in making this possible. This trip gave me more than I could ever give back.
So many of these kids had never seen a dentist before. Little to no access to oral healthcare where they live, and it showed.
We couldn’t fix everything in a week. But we did everything we could, one kid at a time, one smile at a time.
To the friends I made this trip with, old and new, thank you. These are memories I know I’ll be holding onto for a long time.”
Andrew Nguyen - 2026 Volunteer
“Smile Outreach Foundation is such an amazing opportunity for anyone who is wanting to do some volunteer work. For me, it really is the opportunity of a lifetime. I’ve been going on the Smile Outreach Foundation trip since 2014 and I will continue to go for as long as I can.
I have met hundreds of people from all over Australia and from different parts of the world all with a variety of backgrounds and variety of working backgrounds. All these different people coming together to dedicate their time for the same reason. To help. To volunteer. To do better. It’s incredible that over a short period of time, these people all become a family. The early wake ups, late nights and hot days are all worth it when you work with such a great team. Bonding over breakfast, lunch, dinner and eating snacks on the bus.
The most rewarding thing for me personally is seeing the smile on these kids faces when we are there to help. Seeing them so happy even when they have so little is just the most heart warming feeling. Even though I’m giving so little of time to them, it is such a big thing for them.
I’m fortunate enough to have experience working in the dental industry, but for anyone who wants to come along and are not sure if they can do it, I want you to know that you can! You do not need to have any health related experience to come along on this trip as a volunteer. There are many many things that you can do to help. So please, take the next step and join. I promise you will not regret it.”
— Tahlia Hayter, Smile Outreach Foundation Volunteer