Can Dentists Join Doctors Without Borders (MSF)?

Your Clear, Compassionate Guide to Humanitarian Dental Care

Starting the Conversation:

Is It Possible for Dentists to Join Doctors Without Borders?

If you’re a dentist—maybe you’ve worked for years in a busy practice, or you’re just starting out—and you’ve wondered, “Can I use my skills to help people in need? Does Doctors Without Borders even take dentists?” you aren’t alone. It’s something I get asked all the time in dental groups and volunteer forums alike.

That wish to help people in tough places is both great and, honestly, needed. Yes, really needed. There’s a huge problem of untreated tooth and mouth disease in the world, especially where hospitals are struggling because of war, disaster, or poverty. You might be surprised to learn that groups like Doctors Without Borders—also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)—do ask for dentists, not just doctors and nurses.

So, let’s answer your questions, clear up some wrong ideas, and explain what you should know about bringing your dental skills to the front line of helping others.

In This Article

• The Essential Role of Dentists in Humanitarian Aid
• Eligibility Requirements for Dentists Volunteering with MSF
• What Dentists Do on an MSF Mission: Roles and Responsibilities
• The MSF Application Process: How to Get Started
• Impact & Challenges: The Reality of Humanitarian Dentistry
• Beyond Dentists: Other Oral Health Professionals at MSF
• Key Takeaways and Empowering Next Steps

The Essential Role of Dentists in Humanitarian Aid

Oral Health: More Than Just a Smile

First, let’s be clear: taking care of teeth isn’t only about keeping them white or making your breath fresh. Good dental care matters to your whole health, especially in emergencies. Imagine escaping violence, living in a refugee camp, or having no clean water—now think about adding a bad toothache or dangerous mouth infection to all that. Dental pain can make eating, drinking, even talking very hard. If oral problems are not treated, they can turn into real health threats.

Why Does MSF Need Dentists?

In the past, dental problems often got pushed to the side in emergency care. But MSF has learned from experience: unrelieved dental pain and infection are among the most common and tough problems their patients have. Whether it’s pulling a tooth to stop pain, treating injuries from violence, or teaching basic oral care, dental workers are key to reducing suffering.

What Makes Humanitarian Dentistry Different?

Working with MSF is nothing like a normal day at your local china dental lab or well-stocked dental office. You take care of urgent needs with just the basics, find creative solutions, and are often the only dental expert around—a place where you really make a difference.

Eligibility Requirements for Dentists Volunteering with MSF

Ready to go? Not yet. MSF’s requirements are strict, and for good reason—working under tough conditions is demanding. Here’s what you need to know:

Professional Qualifications

• Accreditation: You must have a real dental degree (DDS, DMD, BDS, or similar) and a valid license.
• Clinical Experience: Usually, you’ll need at least 2–5 years of work after finishing dental school. Special roles (like maxillofacial surgery) might need more.
• Wide Range of Skills: Be able to do emergency procedures, extractions, minor oral surgery, and work on your own. The more you’ve done outside the usual dental “comfort zone,” the better.
• Licensure Status: You’ll need to show an active, clean dental license (no major past problems).

Soft Skills & Personal Qualities

• Adaptability: You must be okay working with basic equipment and sometimes tough surroundings.
• Cultural Sensitivity: You’ll help people from different backgrounds—being open-minded matters.
• Communication: Speaking and writing in English is a must. Knowing French, Arabic, or Spanish? That helps a lot.
• Resilience: This work can be tiring and stressful. You need to be able to handle hard days.

Other Practical Needs

• Mission Duration: Most first-timers need to agree to at least 6 to 12 months.
• Vaccinations & Health: You need all required vaccines (yellow fever, hepatitis, COVID-19, etc.) and to be healthy.
• Security and Legal: You have to pass background and reference checks.

What Dentists Do on an MSF Mission: Roles and Responsibilities

Wonder what a day as a field dentist is like? It’s not your usual nine-to-five.

Main Dental Duties

• Emergency Dental Care: Quick pain relief and pulling teeth are big parts of the job. You’ll see people with bad decay, abscesses, and infections—and many haven’t seen a dentist in ages.
• Dealing with Injuries: Injuries from accidents, fights, or animal bites can cause big problems in the mouth, so you have to improvise a lot.
• Infection Control: Treating abscesses, oral signs of HIV/AIDS, or stopping mouth infections from spreading.
• Teaching Prevention: Training local helpers to spot early signs of trouble, teaching people how to clean their teeth, and showing the community how to avoid mouth diseases.
• Record Keeping: MSF wants solid records. You’ll note how many patients you see and what you do for them.

Where You’ll Work

• Field Hospitals & Mobile Clinics: Sometimes in tents, sometimes in old schools, sometimes in crowded refugee camps.
• Out in Villages: Going to places far from cities—where even basic care can change lives.
• Disaster & War Zones: You’re often at the front line when something bad happens.

Challenges & Special Experiences

Let’s be honest—much of what you learned in a modern digital dental lab or even a dental ceramics lab won’t totally get you ready for:

• Using a foot-powered drill with no electricity.
• Pulling teeth all day with just one set of tools.
• Handling emergencies far from the nearest hospital.

But these things are what make the work special.

Case Snapshot:

Dr. Lena, working in Bangladesh with MSF, spent weeks treating nothing but bad teeth in refugee camps. When there were no toothbrushes, she taught people to clean teeth with twigs. Her favorite memory? Seeing a little boy finally smile, pain-free after a simple tooth pull.

The MSF Application Process: How to Get Started

You’ve got the skills and the heart—but how do you actually join a mission?

Step 1: Look and Think

• Check out MSF’s hiring website for your country (like MSF-USA, MSF-UK, etc.).
• See if what you have matches up with their dentist requirements.

Step 2: Apply

• Fill out an online form, send your resume, write a cover letter (talk about any work with hard-to-reach groups), proof of your license, and some references.

Step 3: Interview

• If picked, you’ll go through interviews (online, or maybe in person).
• Be ready for questions about patient care, working under stress, and respecting cultures.
• You might need to do some skill tests.

Step 4: Check and Training

• MSF will call your references and check your background.
• They offer training before you leave: about safety, working with different cultures, dealing with emergencies, and what to expect in the field.

Step 5: Time to Go!

• Once chosen, you usually spend time at the country office for paperwork and travel details. You may leave for your mission with only a few weeks’ warning.

Pro Tip:

Bring up any experience with serving people in poor or far-away areas. MSF likes to see you can handle places that aren’t easy.

Impact & Challenges: The Reality of Humanitarian Dentistry

Now let’s be real: this work isn’t for everyone, but if you stick with it, it’s life-changing.

Good Things

Change Lives:

You do more than fix toothaches. You help people eat, talk, work, and smile again.

Growth:

You’ll challenge yourself and learn things that will help you forever.

Teamwork:

Work with doctors, nurses, helpers, and people from all over. The teamwork is strong.

Tough Things

• Basic Tools: Sometimes you use whatever is there—not what you wish for. Knowing how to make do is important, not just working in a fancy 3d dental lab.
• Lots of Patients: There can be long lines. Many people need help every day.
• Rough Living: Sometimes you live with others in basic rooms, with limited water and few toys or treats.
• Safety: Working near wars or unrest can be risky.
• Emotional Hardship: You’ll see pain and loss. Self-care is a must.

Quick Fact:

In MSF clinics in refugee camps, dental pain is a top reason for visits. Some field dentists have pulled over 50 teeth in a single day.

Beyond Dentists: Other Oral Health Professionals at MSF

Not a general dentist? Here’s what you should know.

• Maxillofacial and Oral Surgeons: In areas with lots of injuries (like from war), surgeons who can fix faces and jaws are needed.
• Dental Hygienists & Assistants: Sometimes, MSF looks for hygienists or assistants (mainly for teaching), but you often need wide skills and be able to work mostly alone when no dentist is there.

MSF likes people who can handle different jobs. If you can do more, you stand out.

Key Takeaways and Empowering Next Steps

Let’s sum up the main ideas so you’re clear about what to do next.

Main Points to Remember

• Yes, dentists are wanted by Doctors Without Borders (MSF). Your knowledge is needed in crisis areas.
• You need a valid dental degree, license, real-world experience, and the guts to work basic.
• Your work includes emergency care, pulling teeth, education, and helping with trauma.
• The work is hard but deeply meaningful—your help is direct and important.
• The application needs real proof, good references, and training.
• If you’re not a dentist but have related training, you might still fit, especially if you’ve worked in low-resource places.

Ready to Make a Global Impact?

If this guide calls to you, don’t let doubt or paperwork stop you. Start by visiting the MSF website for jobs and volunteering. Read their dentist positions, get your papers ready, and apply. Soon, you could be using your skills where they matter most.

Your patients might seem far away, but each application brings the world closer—and brighter.

Frequently Asked Questions: Humanitarian Dentistry & MSF

Do I need prior volunteering experience?

It’s helpful, especially if you’ve helped in small clinics or global health projects—but not required. Strong dental skills and a flexible attitude are what matter most.

Will MSF provide equipment?

They give you the basics, but you’ll often have less than usual. Being creative is part of the job.

Can new graduates apply?

Most of the time, no. MSF asks for at least 2–5 years after you finish training.

What about language?

English is a must, but French or Spanish are big bonuses and give you more places to serve.

Where will I go?

You could go almost anywhere MSF works—Africa, Asia, the Middle East, or Latin America. Be ready for surprises!

Are there tips to help me get ready?

Yes—MSF shares webinars, stories from returned workers, and guides on their websites for advice.

Empower Yourself (And Others):

Take Action

Remember—the world doesn’t only need more doctors. It needs you. Your skills. Your kindness. Your willingness to help when others might not. Whether it’s in a bright crown and bridge lab or a simple corner of a refugee camp, dental care changes lives. Sometimes, it saves them.

If you’re ready for this, don’t wait. The smiles—and even the tears—will be worth it.