Projects Abroad Dentistry interns pose with a local healthcare staff member during their Dentistry placement in Tanzania.

Dentistry Internship in Tanzania

Learn from experienced dentists and observe complicated dental procedures up-close

Destination

Tanzania

Age

16+ y/o

Minimum Stay

1 week

Start Date

Anytime

Accommodation

Homestay

What’s Included

24/7 Support

Round-the-clock support on the ground and 24/7 back up from our global teams.

Accommodation & Amenities

Clean, safe, and welcoming accommodation. A home away from home with comfortable amenities.

Activities, Training & Equipment

All programme activities and equipment, including training and workshops from experienced professionals.

Certification

Certified record of service hours, workshops, and activities for your CV.

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Starting at £1,520 for 1 weeks

Flexible 0% Interest payments

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Trip Overview

Observe local dentists

Shadow experienced dentists in Arusha, observing procedures, and gaining insights into dental practices in a developing healthcare setting.

Conduct community outreach

Assist with optional outreach programmes, educating local communities on the importance of oral hygiene and preventative dental care.

Get first-hand experience

Support dental staff with patient screenings, instrument preparation, and minor tasks, helping develop your practical dentistry skills.

Immerse yourself in the community

Live with a Tanzanian host family, experiencing their culture and daily life, and exploring the city of Arusha and its surroundings.

Boost your employability

Enhance your CV with international experience, gaining a valuable understanding of dental practices in Tanzania and developing soft skills.

What you need to know

Overview

Our Dentistry internship in Tanzania is perfect for anyone interested in a career in dentistry. It will give you relevant experience to draw on when you apply to study. If you’re already studying, seize the opportunity to build your practical dentistry knowledge.

You don’t need any previous experience to join. You’ll have a supervisor to guide you, and you can reach out to our staff anytime you need to. You can find out whether dentistry is the right career for you by getting first-hand dentistry experience.

This project runs all year round, so you can join whenever it suits you. We encourage you to stay as long as you can to learn and gain more experience while in Tanzania.

A Day in the Life

Your work will usually run from 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday. You’ll have your weekends free.

On a typical day, you’ll wake up and enjoy a tasty breakfast with your host family. Then, you’ll grab your notebook and catch a dala-dala (shared minibus taxi) to your placement. On your first day, Projects Abroad staff will accompany you to show you the way.

Mornings will usually be busier than afternoons. You’ll start your work by sitting in on consultations and observing dental procedures. In the afternoons, you can help prepare equipment or ask local staff questions about the different cases you’ve seen throughout the day. This is a great opportunity to hear all about dentistry directly from professionals.

If you’d like, you can organise outreaches to raise awareness about dental care. This is a chance to teach children about the importance of caring for their teeth to help prevent future health problems.

In the evenings, you can spend time exploring and enjoying dinner with your host family or other Projects Abroad interns and volunteers.

Aims & Impact

The main aim of this project is to give you the chance to learn more about dentistry firsthand. You’ll also get to experience what dentistry is like in a developing country. As you shadow local staff, you’ll gain valuable experience to enhance your CV.

You can also help raise awareness about the importance of dental hygiene. By teaching local students the ins and outs of dental care, you can help prevent tooth decay and gum disease. Without easy access to dental clinics, it’s particularly important to work towards preventing dental problems in these communities.

To make sure we’re always working towards a long-term vision, we’ve outlined five goals in our Medical Management Plan for Tanzania. These goals are:

Improve access to basic healthcare for disadvantaged groups
Promote awareness of non-communicable diseases
Improve hygiene standards
Improve the quality of healthcare provided to patients
Encourage an understanding of medical practices and promote an exchange of medical knowledge

Join our dental internship in Tanzania and play a part in working towards these goals.

Activities

You’ll gain dentistry work experience in Tanzania at a dental clinic or healthcare centre. In both placements, there are plenty of ways you can learn and gain experience. These are some of your main tasks:

Shadow and observe local dentists and experience their daily routine
Assist with minor tasks like patient screening and preparing instruments for procedures
Raise awareness of the importance of oral hygiene in local schools and communities

Your work will focus on these areas:

Observe and assist professional dentists

A large part of your internship will be spent in a dental clinic or healthcare centre, shadowing local staff. You’ll spend your time getting to know the daily routine of a dentist in Tanzania.

You’ll sit in on consultations and observe procedures, such as root canals and bonding. You might also get to see advanced cases firsthand, something you wouldn’t experience on an internship in your home country. Local dentists will teach you how to diagnose and treat these different conditions.

You’ll also have the chance to assist with minor tasks. This will include things like screening patients before consultations, helping prepare instruments and equipment, and giving patients information about oral hygiene.

Oral hygiene awareness campaigns

If you’re eager to make a difference in local communities, you can also raise awareness about the importance of oral hygiene in schools and around the community. However, this aspect of the internship is optional. You can organise your own outreaches and give talks on how to brush teeth correctly. If you’re feeling creative, you can make oral hygiene posters to hang on classroom walls. This will give students a visual reminder about why they need to care for their teeth.

Map & Location

Vast savannahs teeming with wildlife, Mount Kilimanjaro piercing the sky, and the colourful culture of the Maasai tribe — all things you’ll find in the incredible East African nation of Tanzania.

Tanzania is considered as one of the safest countries in Africa with a friendly and welcoming population, and is a popular tourist destination. With 30% of the country covered in national parks, including the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, it’s especially good for safaris.

Arusha

Arusha, in northern Tanzania, serves as a gateway to Africa’s most renowned safari destinations. The region is home to 2.4 million people, with 600,000 living in Arusha city at the foot of Mount Meru. It enjoys a pleasant highland climate with warm days and cool nights.

It has a mix of cultures and a growing tourism industry thanks to the fascinating handcrafted souvenirs of the Maasai markets, interesting cultural sites, and thrilling safari trips to nearby national parks.

Food & Accommodation

Discover the magic of Tanzania from your base in Arusha. You’ll have everything you need for a comfortable stay, including a cosy bed, three meals a day using the authentic tastes of Tanzania, and readily available drinking water.

You’ll be welcomed into a carefully selected host family in Arusha, instantly making you feel like a local and providing a taste of Tanzanian life. It will be clean, safe, and within a short distance of your placement. We’ll also handle your daily transport to and from your project, so you can focus on developing your skills, connections, and global perspective.

Shared rooms are arranged with other participants of the same gender and similar age, creating a great opportunity to connect and share your cultural exchange in this beautiful country.

Free Time and Leisure

A trip to Tanzania is the chance to experience life in the heart of Africa. There’s plenty to see and do here during your free time on your project.

A project in Tanzania wouldn’t be complete without a safari! This is a chance to see the beautiful wildlife of this country up close, like elephants, rhinos, and lions.

What’s more, Tanzania is home to the highest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro. Hiking around the base through lush vegetation is a peaceful way to spend an afternoon.

Browsing through a vibrant, local market is a must while you’re there. You can also spend time in a Maasai village, getting to know a completely different way of life.

There will likely be many other volunteers in Tanzania with you. This means you have the option to explore the country independently or with a group of like-minded volunteers from different projects.

Your Arrival Made Easy

When you arrive at your respective airport, a member of Projects Abroad staff will be there to meet you. You can find more detailed information on arrival airports, orientation, and visas on our Tanzania Arrival Procedures page.