THUNDER BAY -- A Thunder Bay dentist has returned home from a humanitarian dental mission to Jamaica.
Dr. Derval Clarke, a native of Jamaica, says he provided critical treatment and medication to hundreds of people in Negril over the course of four days.
According to Clarke, patients lined up for hours for the opportunity to receive free dental care.
He arrived back in Thunder Bay on July 27 after completing his second such mission to the Caribbean country in the past year.
Clarke moved to Canada in 2004 when he was in his late teens.
"I feel incredibly fortunate to have built successful dental practices in Nipigon and Thunder Bay, but I also remember my roots in Jamaica," Clarke said in a prepared statement.
"Having the ability to give back and support families who cannot typically afford dental treatment is a privilege for me," he added.
Clarke said thousands of families and children in Jamaica will never be able to access dental care.
He said that during the trip to his homeland he partnered with several other dental professionals to bring oral hygiene education to elementary school children.
About 2,000 children received information about proper oral health and were provided with basic essentials including toothbrushes and toothpaste.
