Written by Shuli Lo
Translated by H.B. Qin
Edited by Ida Eva Zielinska
A team of Tzu Chi International Medical Association (TIMA) dentists arrived at the Tzu Chi Tijuana Campus in Mexico in July 2025, to begin four days of free dental care on July 9, serving patients with special needs. Some patients were treated on campus, while others received home visits. The medical team, composed of TIMA members and interns affiliated with the Secretariat of Health of Baja California (Secretaría de Salud de Baja California, SSBC), provided meticulous oral care to vulnerable patients and guided local dentists on teeth scaling, diagnostic approaches, and ways to help anxious patients relax, delivering care that transcended language and borders.
Simultaneous Services in Different Locations
The Tzu Chi Tijuana Campus dispatched vehicles to the SSBC to pick up medical interns who had agreed to participate in the free dental care outreach. The medical team then divided into two groups. One group treated patients at the Tzu Chi Tijuana Campus, serving those who had means of transportation or were able to arrive by wheelchair or on foot. The other team, bringing equipment and medications with them, made home visits to patients who were unable to travel or were bedridden. There were about 15 to 18 people on each team, including two attending physicians, SSBC medical interns, and equipment-maintenance volunteers.
Doctors who conducted home visits in the morning returned to the campus for afternoon consultations, while those who served at the campus in the morning went out for home visits in the afternoon. This rotation exposed doctors to a range of cases and strengthened their practical experience. Each home visit served one patient, while the campus scheduled up to 16 patients for simultaneous consultations, balancing efficiency with quality.
Before the home visits, each doctor reviewed patient records to understand their physical condition and dental issues. The records had been compiled by volunteers, the Tzu Chi Tijuana Campus dentist, and SSBC medical staff during previous home visits, then consolidated by Chris Yang and local doctors to ensure readiness for the day. All the doctors also checked their instruments to prevent delays in diagnosis and treatment.
Caring for a Cerebral Palsy Patient
Among the home-visit patients, Ana Karen has cerebral palsy, which causes involuntary tremors, and she is unable to stand. She also has a history of self-injury. Tzu Chi volunteers have supported her for years. During this home visit, Ana had difficulty cooperating. With her mother’s help, the dental team kept Ana calm and gently stabilized her limbs, while Dr. Yi Pang Lee carefully cleaned her teeth. The team also taught Ana’s mother, Maria, how to provide daily oral care.
I am very grateful that my daughter can have healthier teeth. She had to have many teeth extracted due to limited medical resources in the past. Now, thanks to Tzu Chi's help, my daughter finally receives better dental care.
Carefully Addressing Epilepsy Challenges
Another afternoon home visit brought the team to a patient with epilepsy whose limbs had atrophied after years of bed rest. Drs. Ming-Ju Lee and Stephanie Chen led diagnosis and treatment. Blood oxygen levels were closely monitored during the teeth cleaning, with a stop threshold of 90%. When the saturation level dropped below 90% due to the patient’s heightened anxiety, the team halted the procedure midway.
Afterward, Dr. Ming-Ju Lee showed the patient’s mother how to brush her daughter’s teeth so she could gradually become accustomed to dental care, in preparation for future treatment.
Attending to a Patient With Multiple Sclerosis
The home-visit team also went to Alma’s home to clean her husband’s teeth. He has multiple sclerosis and limited mobility. Alma expressed her deep gratitude, saying, “I am truly thankful to Tzu Chi today. Two doctors from Taiwan and the U.S. specially came to our home to clean my husband’s teeth. He has been having dental issues and discomfort due to his illness. Today’s help is incredibly important to us. It’s a remarkable act of kindness. Thank you!”
Serving Patients at the Tzu Chi Tijuana Campus
At the Tzu Chi Tijuana Campus, patients received equally attentive dental care. The team arranged transportation to the campus for Maricela and her daughter Medrano, who has polio. “I am truly grateful for the care and attention given to my daughter and me,” Maricela said. “The environment and facilities here are excellent, and the services we received were outstanding.”
All the staff were incredibly kind and made us feel warmly welcomed. I hope this care continues for a long time.
Because many special needs patients had never received regular medical care or had difficulty cooperating due to physical limitations, doctors and volunteers spent considerable time calming them. They sang songs, used small toys for distraction, and, when necessary, gently stabilized limbs to ensure safety during treatment. Each procedure was a test of both medical expertise and patience.
Seeing strangers offer their time and professional skills at no cost to care for their children, many families were deeply moved. Within an already vulnerable population, these patients are among the most at risk, and they received not only clinical care during the outreach, but also the respect and compassion they rarely experience.
However, since most patients had long-standing oral health issues, a single visit could not resolve everything. The Tzu Chi team plans ongoing follow-ups to ensure continuity of care. They also hope that, through the example and support of volunteers and medical professionals, local doctors will carry this compassion and ethic into their future practice.
Building Local Capacity
The SSBC interns who worked side by side with the Tzu Chi team gained valuable, firsthand insight into the demands of providing dental care to patients with special needs. They came away recognizing the importance of treating these especially vulnerable individuals with patience and compassion.
SSBC medical intern Victoria Flores said, “To see this kind of patient, you need a big team. Everyone has to know their role in the activity. I’m glad to be part of today’s team. These patients can’t come to your clinic or practice; you go to them, and when you go, you have to bring everything with you. It’s so good that there are foundations like this, like Tzu Chi, that help people around the world. I’ll be glad to be back anytime; I’d be glad to volunteer.”
It’s one of the reasons helping people in need is so fulfilling. Being able to help them really warms your heart.
Another SSBC medical intern, Marian Lopez, shared, “These two days of working with doctors from Taiwan and the U.S. have helped me learn a lot. They taught me how to work with patients in need, how to work with kindness, without getting angry or stressed when it becomes challenging.”
They taught me techniques when working with these patients, like singing to them, like how to keep their mouth open without hurting them, and making them feel comfortable and safe in my hands.
The Tzu Chi doctors from Taiwan and the U.S. cared for each patient with special needs with professionalism and patience during this cross-border dental outreach. They also mentored SSBC medical interns to support their training and growth. The free clinics offered not only treatment but also respect and compassion. May this care continue in Tijuana and inspire others to extend compassion in turn.
