The wettest visit to Timor Leste with the most driving to do much needed dentistry in far flung regions.
31 May to 14 June 2025
Arrival and First Week: Maubara & Vatu Vou
After the usual shopping for supplies in Dili, our team travelled to our Maubara Clinic, the base for the first week.
On 2–3 June, we worked at Vatu Vou school. The road to the school has improved greatly since previous years, making it far more accessible. The school had not received a dental visit for several years, so we focused first on the older children, with plans for a return visit to treat the younger students.
Equipment Repairs & Limited Clinic Days
On 4 June, we welcomed Steve Hodgkin, a Canberra-based dental equipment technician, who joined us to service much-needed equipment. Importantly, Steve was accompanied by Januario, a Timorese trainee technician, as there are currently no dental equipment repair specialists in Timor-Leste. Steve was also supporting two other Australian charities and the government clinic in Gleno, so his expertise was in high demand. Despite the challenges of ongoing repairs, Mary worked hard to continue examining patients.
5 June was another of Timor-Leste’s many public holidays, so the clinic was officially closed, though we still managed to see one patient and treat the Sisters.
On 6 June, we returned to a full clinic day.
Maubara totals:
- Patients: 121
- Extractions: 67 teeth
- Restorations: 40 teeth
- Fissure seals: 2 teeth
- Silver fluoride: 7 teeth
- Cleans: 8 patients
- Fluoride: 1 patient
Journey to Uato-Carbau: The Long Road East
On 7 June, we returned to Dili to collect Geordie and Shane, two young dentists from Queensland who had previously volunteered in 2024.
The following day (8 June), the team embarked on one of the most demanding trips we’ve attempted: a full-day drive to Uato-Carbau at the request of the Ministry of Health. After a lunch stop at the Pousada in Baucau we arrived after dark to this remote region The nearest government dental clinic is over three hours away, across an unsealed road to Viqueque.
Uato-Carbau is sparsely populated and home to Mundo Perdido (“The Lost World”), Timor-Leste’s last remaining rainforest.
Dentistry in Remote Villages
On 9 June, we travelled more than an hour from Uato-Carbau to a very remote village, where the team was kept busy with extractions.
On 10 June, we set up in another village meeting hall for another full day, again dominated by urgent extractions. That night, heavy rains began — marking the start of travel difficulties that would soon challenge the team.
By 11 June, the rainfall was so intense that patients could not reach the clinic. Concerned about becoming stranded, we made the difficult decision to begin the return journey.
On 12 June, after three hours of wet and rough driving, we arrived in Viqueque, staying at Ana Paula’s sister’s guesthouse. We visited the government clinic next door, where we found a broken dental unit — a common problem across Timor-Leste. Encouragingly, the clinic had good supplies of extraction instruments and anaesthetic, and a highly motivated assistant director who shared that a new clinic is planned for the town.
Viqueque also carries deep historical significance. The town’s striking church, built during Indonesian occupation, was the site of a massacre in 1983, where 1,000 people were killed. In front of the church sits a car in which two nuns lost their lives — a stark reminder of the nation’s turbulent past.
Uato-Carbau & Viqueque totals (3 days):
- Patients: 107
- Extractions: 167 teeth
- Restorations: 15 teeth
- Silver fluoride: 27 teeth
- Cleans: 8 patients
We return to Dili
On 13 June, the team drove the four hours back to Dili to ensure Geordie and Shane could catch their flight home.
Reflections
Team 2’s 2025 visit will be remembered as one of the wettest and most travel-intensive trips we have ever undertaken. Despite the weather and logistical challenges, we were able to provide essential care to over 228 patients across the districts of Maubara, Vatu-Carbau, and Viqueque.
The trip highlighted both the progress and ongoing challenges in Timor-Leste: improved roads to some schools, but a lack of functioning dental units across government clinics. We must thank Mary for her leadership and importantly, organising her technician Steve Hodgkins to service much of our (and other groups) equipment. He was able to mentor the training of a Timorese dental technician which offers hope for more sustainable solutions in the future.
Even with fewer clinical days than usual, the dedication of the team and the resilience of the communities we serve ensured that our work made a lasting difference.
Timor-Leste Dental Program 
Well done Mary and team.I