The Dental Volunteers for Israel (DVI) remains committed to providing essential, high-quality dental care to Jerusalem’s most vulnerable populations. Despite the challenges posed by recent events, our clinic continues to serve underserved children, at-risk youth, Holocaust survivors, elderly residents, new immigrants, and lone soldiers, ensuring that every patient receives compassionate, professional treatment while maintaining the highest standards of care.
The following updates highlight DVI’s key areas of focus in 2025: patient care and demand, volunteer dentists, equipment and facility improvements, community outreach and education, and the Smiles for Seniors program.
1. Patient Care & Demand
Throughout the war, we continued treating patients, and the need for care was more critical than ever. Today, we are still welcoming those who rely on us for essential treatment, and we are beginning to see many patients who, during the war, were hesitant or unable to come to the clinic.
Many families are experiencing heightened financial stress, making our free, high-quality dental care more essential than ever.
We are currently seeing:
- underserved children referred through social services & local welfare departments;
- at-risk youth from partner organizations;
- elderly patients & Holocaust survivors;
- new immigrants;
- lone soldiers.
Be sure to stay tuned for our 2025 data in our end of the year report.
2. Volunteer Dentists
We continue to welcome volunteer dentists from around the world, each bringing their expertise, compassion, and commitment to our patients. During the war and with airlines stopping flights, the number of dentists volunteering dropped but was picked up by Israeli and foreign volunteer dentists living in Israel.
We still have open volunteer slots for 2025, especially during the summer and fall months.
3. Equipment & Facility Updates
To maintain the highest standards of care, we work to:
- replace aging dental units and chairs;
- upgrade sterilization equipment;
- maintain our digital X-ray system;
- ensure the clinic meets the safety & hygiene requirements of the Ministry of Health.
Every upgrade directly improves the quality of care our patients receive.
4. Community Outreach & Education
Our team continues to reach out to the community and Jerusalem social services to ensure that Jerusalem’s most needy receive the dental care they deserve!
5. Smiles for Seniors Program
Demand for dental care among seniors—including Holocaust survivors—remains high. Many face complex dental needs and cannot afford treatment elsewhere.
To become a volunteer, please visit here. To donate, please visit here.
Featured image credit: DepositPhotos.com
