Holistic dental care

A 2-year certified, blended course for primary healthcare workers in prevention and simple treatment of dental diseases

Course Focus:

Alleviating rural dental disease burden through prevention
Providing accessible and affordable dental care and treatment.
Whole person care approach in dentistry
Serving with a sense of mission in meeting dental needs

Course syllabus:

Dental and medical Modules
Character and Ethics modules
Management and Leadership Topics
Whole Person Dental Care Teaching and training
Wholistic worldview, values and lifestyle
Theoretical and clinical exams
Practical Clinical and community-based dental health promotion, disease prevention and treatment.

Structure of the program

The course is conducted over 2 years in two Phases. Each phase will include;

A six month (24 week) in-person class covering a defined curriculum.
A six month supervised clinical internship in the community.

Program Components

Didactic approach: This will use both Pedagogue and andragogy methods of teaching
Problem based approach
A practical / clinical component
- In the dental unit
- In the community
A Project component
A mentoring, review and evaluation component

You should be:

A High School Graduate/ Graduate Social worker/ Community Health worker/ Nurse Aid

Eager to learn and practice wholistic rural dental care.

Prepared to serve in areas of great need

Dr. Mathew George

Mathew is a Dentist by profession, worked at a Rural Mission hospital, The Duncan Hospital,a unit Emmanuel Hospital Association (EHA) from 1993 – 2013. Along with his wife Latha, a dentist too, he pioneered the dental work in EHA. Together they also developed the ComDentprogram that trains nurses and healthcare workers in primary dentistry

From 2013 to 2019 he was with the Evangelical Medical Fellowship of India (EMFI) heading its Missions Department. He oversaw its various Mission training programs and spearheaded a new initiative called the “Perspective of the Kingdom In Healthcare”. He has a passion for teaching, training and mentoring students and young graduates and has strengths of envisioning and strategic planning

Latha and Him have a 23 year-old daughter Rachel

Mr. Paul East

Paul has been in healthcare mission for 45 yrs (27yrs in India). Paul trained & qualified in Healthcare Administration In the UK before going to India. He along with his wife Su (Nurse/Midwife/ Counsellor) worked with Emmanuel Hospital Association ()EHA for 13 yrs. Later they have been involved in teaching, Mentoring, leadership training amongst other things.They continued to have an interest in Global Christian Healthcare with a special focus on India. They have a son, daughter & 6 grandchildren living in the UK & Canada.

Dr. Manoj Jacob

Dr. Manoj C Jacob serves on the COGI Board and is an Internist further trained in both Geriatric and Palliative Medicine. In 1991, he co-founded and is a past Director of AshaKiran Society and Hospital, an NGO serving the population of South Odisha, India. He is also a past General Secretary of the Evangelical Medical Fellowship of India (EMFI). Currently based in Kochi, Kerala, India, he and his wife, Manju, an Ophthalmologist, have 2 children… daughter Monica, a Clinical Psychologist and son Manonit pursuing medical studies in Coimbatore.

Mr. Charles Faust

Chuck is a retired business executive having served in chief operating and chief financial roles for multi-national companies headquartered in the United States, Japan, and Hong Kong. In addition to his role as COGI Board Secretary/Treasurer, he has assisted in developing and editing many of our training modules. He and his wife of 40 years live near Boise, Idaho, USA and are broadly involved in their local church and spending time with their 3 children and 6 grandchildren.

Dr. Abraham Thomas MD

Abe is a practicing pediatrician in Northern NJ. After completing medical education in India, Abe and his wife Ruby migrated to USA and has been practicing pediatrics for over 30 years. Other than having the privilege of being the Chairman of the Board of COGI, Abe is the President of US Chapter of Helping Hands for Hospitals an organization to support the needs of mission hospitals. Abe also have served many roles at the The Life Christian Church, West Orange, New Jersey over the past 27 years where he currently serve as a member of elder board (Pastor’s Advisory Council). Abe and Ruby live in East Brunswick, NJ and have two children Ashish and Vivek.

Dr. Arun Kumar Gautam

Dr Arun Kumar Gautham is currently working in a Chinchpada Hospital a mission Hospital in Maharastra. He has done his specialization in Anaesthesia. He is married to Alice who is a and they have 2 kids. He has been working in a village called chinchpada in tribal Maharashtra that mainly caters to health needs of Bhil tribal groups. He is a follower of Christ and believes in serving the poor is his calling .

Dr. Molly Thomas

Molly is a member of the COGI India Partner Team and currently works as Consultant and Head of Dermatology, at Herbertpur Christian Hospital a unit of the EHA (Emmanuel Hospital Association) network. She is passionate for the Great Commission and has a heart to establish the Kingdom Of God in the uttermost parts of India and the World. Her Husband Dr. Viju is a Pediatric Surgeon and Medical Director where she works. Their elder daughter is in university and a their son and younger daughter are both in high school.