Since the outbreak of civil war in Syria in 2011, an estimated 1.5 million Syrians fled carnage and devastation in their home country and took refuge in neighboring Jordan. Living without resources in make-shift conditions, they don’t have the luxury of a balanced diet and neglect oral hygiene. The prevalence of tooth decay is high and, even if they had access to dental treatment, most people could not afford it.

Andi Herzog, a Swiss airline pilot, saw this urgent need while working voluntarily with the NOIVA foundation. He approached Straumann with a visionary idea of buying a transport container and equipping it as a mobile dental clinic that would be staffed by local dentists and would provide treatment for refugees on the Syrian border. Straumann agreed to support the project which became a reality some months later. A decommissioned military field hospital was acquired, refurbished by volunteers and fitted with dental chairs and equipment. On arrival in the Middle East it was saddled onto a truck and went into operation in North Jordan with a sponsored team of local dentists shortly before Christmas. It our privilege to support them, NOIVA and all our charitable partners in pushing the boundaries of human kindness.