Hospital de la Familia is in Nuevo Progreso, in rural western Guatemala, a region where poverty, mountainous terrain, limited transportation and too few healthcare resources can make even basic medical care hard to reach. Specialized services are especially scarce outside the country’s major cities.

Patients often travel hours, and sometimes days, to reach the hospital. Many come from across the border in Mexico.

Our relationship with the hospital grew through the long involvement of our anesthesiologist, Dr. Michael Mellenthin. He first volunteered there in the 1990s, returned after a long break, and has been closely involved for the past six to seven years. Today he is Chair of the Hospital de la Familia Foundation and helps strengthen its specialty services, including the dental department.

Through that relationship, our team has been able to contribute its expertise in pediatric dentistry and general anesthesia to the hospital’s growing dental program.

Children with extensive dental disease, very young children, children with developmental or special healthcare needs, and others who can’t tolerate conventional treatment may need general anesthesia to complete their care safely.

During our volunteer work at Hospital de la Familia, our team provides comprehensive pediatric dental treatment under general anesthesia, including:

Exams & X-raysRestorationsCrownsPulp therapyExtractionsPreventive care