Volunteer medical work important to Whitefish dentist

One of the greatest aspects of being a dentist is being able to help others, Whitefish dentist Mandy Stebbins said. Throughout her career, Stebbins has been able to do that, from the thick forests of Alaska to small villages across Vietnam.  

Stebbins' latest trip to Vietnam in March was her third time volunteering in the country with East Meets West Dental Program, a group that provides international humanitarian dental services to more than 150,000 people in central Vietnam, focusing on care for children. Her 13-year-old son, John, accompanied her.  

“I always get way more out of it than what I give... even though you’re giving just a tiny amount of what may be needed,” Stebbins said. 

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the East Meets West Dental Program, a part of a larger mission to improve the health and well-being of underserved communities in Southeast Asia.  

Originally started by Le Ly Hayslip, a Vietnamese American writer and humanitarian, the organization is known for its grassroots programs promoting clean water, health and education. This was Stebbins' third trip with the group.  

Stebbins grew up in Creston and was immersed in dental care in high school, working in her uncle’s orthodontist office. She graduated from dental school in 2004 when she saw an advertisement for a dental job in Alaska; she ended up working there for six years.  

Located in Bethel, Alaska — a remote city in the Western half of the state — Stebbins worked for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation through the federal Indian Health Service. Together, she and a team of dentists would take portable gear and fly to various villages for treatment.  

“It was like being in National Geographic,” Stebbins reminisced from a coffee shop in Whitefish. “One thing about that kind of living is a lot of it is survival-based, not necessarily the same problems you see in mainstream Western culture. People looked after each other, and we were able to be a part of that.”  

Most outreach work, Stebbins said, is usually pain and infection orientated. She moved to Billings after her stint in Alaska and worked for the Blackfeet Community Hospital until the birth of her son in 2013 when she decided to move to Whitefish and open her current practice, Stebbins Dental Studio. 

While working in Alaska, Stebbins met a man named Charles “Fritz” Craft, a dentist who helped start East Meets West’s dental clinic for children in 1995. In 2008, Craft started recruiting his colleagues to go to Vietnam for a dental outreach trip. Stebbins agreed and ended up traveling to Vietnam in 2009 and 2011.  

Team Alaska, which Stebbins travels with, had nine dentists this year.  

One of the best aspects, she said, is connecting with the other dentists and volunteers who show up for this work.  

“They’re so passionate,” she said. “It’s really inspirational for me to see.” 

Usually, the trips consist of outreach to villages across central Vietnam, based out of Da Nang. However, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and recent government cuts by Vietnam’s parliament, the team had to stay in Da Nang this year, servicing children at various schools in the area.  

Stebbins remembers one specific girl from this year, around 7 years old, who had a couple of teeth that needed extractions. Through a language barrier and by taking the treatment slowly, Stebbins was able to extract four teeth that were causing pain. 

 “It was an act of building trust; she had the autonomy to choose, and she got braver with each choice. And now she can heal,” Stebbins said.  

Stebbins already looks forward to returning to Vietnam to further the work East Meets West does by expanding access to dental care to underserved communities.  

“Things seem pretty chaotic and antagonistic in the States,” she said. “It was nice to be in an area with people focused on doing good.” 

“It’s important that humanity helps each other out, anyway you can,” she added.  

Reporter Kate Heston may be reached at 758-4459 or kheston@dailyinterlake.com. 

    Mandy Stebbins, a Whitefish dentist, with her son John on a volunteer dentist trip in Vietnam. (Photo courtesy of Mandy Stebbins)