VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Beach doctors Eldad Drori and Adam Hogan live to put smiles on other people's faces.
At Full Implant Choice in Virginia Beach, they are trained in full mouth reconstruction and often complex oral surgeries.
“Giving people teeth back is way more than just giving them something to chew with. It’s giving them back their humanity and their dignity and their self-confidence again," said Hogan, who runs the practice.
Now, their quest is taking them abroad.
They're partnering with an organization called Operation Re-dendulate Central America Association, or ORCAA. The group, co-founded by Drori, aims to provide dental treatment in Central America, starting in Guatemala.
"There are so many people around the world who don't have the ability to get proper treatment," said Drori.
Working alongside a university in Guatemala, the pair are among a handful of surgeons now traveling to train doctors to provide adequate dental care to people in the country. There are roughly 30 doctors taking part of the program who travel to country to teach complex surgeries and oral care.
They're also providing free surgeries for children.
“The doctors in Central America said hey we have these cases we don’t have the resources to provide the treatment," said Drori.
They shared images of a 14-year-old girl in Guatemala who could not bite or chew because of a tumor in her jaw. She became the first patient under this new initiative, and now she can smile again. Two more cases are currently in the works, according to Drori.
Back in Virginia Beach, Hogan also founded the Atlantic Implant Institute that teaches doctors to safely perform dental implants in the U.S. and abroad. The education center specifically trains for the full arch procedure, which replaces all top or bottom teeth using implants.
His goal now is to bring others along for this international program.
"We actually teach doctors how to do it first, and then we actually take them, so we can supervise them closely, so they can come back here and deliver better care," said Hogan.
In February, they're taking a large group of people to Guatemala to train doctors. They plan to travel to the country again in September.
Meanwhile, they plan to perform at least 50 oral surgeries for people who otherwise wouldn't have access.
"I can only treat 20-30 people a month. But if I can train 30 doctors to do it, that’s 300 a month and so on and so forth, and 3000 a month. And we help people get the care that they need," said Hogan.
"Everybody is given gifts, but being able to take those gifts and give back [is special]," said Drori.
They're hoping to take more doctors with them, and eventually, expand to other countries.
Anyone interested in joining the organization can learn more here.