As an oral and maxillofacial surgeon at the Dental Care Group in Aventura, Dr. David Koslovsky helps keep families in South Florida smiling – but now, as far away as East Central Africa, Dr. Koslovsky is joining in efforts to improve the dental health of needy people living in Burundi – one of the poorest countries in the world.
Earlier this year, Dr. Koslovsky was invited to visit Village Health Works in Kigutu, Burundi to help establish an oral health program along with colleagues from Columbia University College of Dental Medicine.
The Village Health Works medical clinic is dedicated to providing free care to impoverished people in Burundi, where the population now exceeds nine million and no dentists are accessible in rural areas. As a result, tooth decay, infections and pain are commonplace.
Dr. Koslovsky, who also serves as Assistant Professor of Surgery at Columbia University, traveled to Burundi with several colleagues to assist in developing community-based oral health prevention and teaching programs. Instruments needed to perform hundreds of extractions during the mission were generously donated by the Henry Schein Company. Dr. Koslovsky’s team is currently building a fully-functional operating room in Kigutu to manage large maxillofacial infections, treat cleft lip and palate and remove large tumors of the face.
Village Health Works was founded by Deogratias (Deo) Niyizonkiza, an American citizen, born in rural Burudi. After completing his undergraduate education at Columbia University and studying at Harvard’s School of Public Health as well as Dartmouth Medical School, Deo returned to Burundi and opened Village Health Works in 2007.
In the spirit of Village Health Works’ humanitarianism, Dr. Koslovsky also recently participated in Dental Care Group’s “Dentistry from Our Heart’s” day, inviting those less fortunate to receive free dental services.
At Dental Care Group, Dr. Koslovsky’s expertise includes impacted wisdom teeth, pathology and dental implants, as well as bone and soft tissue reconstruction. Dr. Koslovsky is also certified in outpatient general anesthesia.
The Dental Care Group based in Aventura and Pembroke Pines is a multispecialty practice providing patientfocused preventive and cosmetic care. The Dental Care Group as well as Aventura Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics patients benefit from state-of-the-art technology combined with an over 35-year tradition of dental excellence.
For more information, phone 305-935- 2797 or visit www.dentalcaregroup.net; or www.aventurapediatricdentistry.com, phone 305-935-1613.
