Unspoken Smiles names 30-fellow 2026 class across four countries

Unspoken Smiles announced its 2026 Fellowship class, bringing 30 young oral health leaders from Costa Rica, Panama, Peru and Nicaragua into a year-long program focused on prevention, community service and clinical training. The third cohort expands the group’s regional footprint as the organization adds a new clinic-based model in San José to help students earn credit while increasing patient access.

Why it matters: - Unspoken Smiles is using the Fellowship to build the next generation of oral health leaders in Latin America. - The program combines education, service and clinical experience in a region where oral disease remains widespread but preventable. - The model is designed to expand care for underserved communities while reducing barriers for dental students.

What happened: - Unspoken Smiles announced the 2026 Class of the Unspoken Smiles Fellowship on July 11, 2026, in San José, Costa Rica. - The third cohort includes 30 fellows ages 17 to 38 from Costa Rica, Panama, Peru and Nicaragua. - The Fellowship is now in its third year and is positioned as a regional oral health leadership program. - Jean Paul Laurent, founder and president of Unspoken Smiles, said the program is developing future leaders in public health, social impact and community service.

The details: - Since the Fellowship began, fellows have screened more than 1,000 schoolchildren across eight public schools in San José Central. - Those screenings support prevention programs aimed at reducing childhood tooth decay and advancing the Zero Cavity Initiative. - Alumni took part in their first international outreach mission to the San Blas Islands of Panama with FLO International. - That mission delivered oral health education and services to Indigenous communities. - The program held its first official Fellowship Welcome Reception, sponsored by the Western Union Foundation and the Watson Institute. - The reception brought together fellows, alumni, faculty members and partners. - The year-long Fellowship includes community engagement, prevention-focused healthcare, leadership development and public health advocacy. - Fellows support school-based oral health education, community outreach, preventive care campaigns and access-to-care initiatives in Costa Rica and beyond. - Some alumni have received U.S. visas for the first time through opportunities linked to the program. - Those alumni have used the visas to attend the Greater New York Dental Meeting. - Other alumni received recommendation letters for postgraduate study abroad. - Alumni have also expanded their international professional networks and gained access to pediatric patients needed for university clinical requirements. - ULACIT faculty members will begin supervising fellows weekly at the new Unspoken Smiles Clinic in San José. - The clinic will treat patients who cannot afford traditional university clinic fees. - Students will earn academic credit toward clinical competencies and graduation requirements while providing care. - The model addresses the challenge many dental students face in finding patients and covering the costs of required clinical procedures. - For patients, the model expands access to care. - For students, the model reduces financial barriers and adds clinical experience. - For communities, the model creates a pathway to treatment. - The Fellowship is supported by ULACIT and in-kind contributions from FIGS and Axiom2. - The support helps provide educational resources, professional apparel, development opportunities and training experiences throughout the year.

Between the lines: - The Fellowship is evolving from a training program into a regional pipeline for oral health workforce development. - The new clinic supervision model links student training directly to community care, which can make the program more durable than one-off outreach. - The emphasis on partnerships suggests the organization is building a broader ecosystem around oral health equity, not just a standalone fellowship. - Laurent framed the approach as a way to move oral health forward through prevention and service, not clinic-only care.

What's next: - Fellows will continue the year-long program through community work, advocacy and clinical training. - ULACIT faculty will begin weekly supervision at the new San José clinic. - Alumni and current fellows are likely to keep expanding the program’s cross-border outreach and professional network. - Unspoken Smiles says the Fellowship will continue preparing students and emerging professionals for roles in healthcare, social impact and global health.