[Oral health care volunteering in developing countries 1. More than charity]

Although limited in extent, oral health care volunteering in developing countries can contribute to sustainable improvement of oral health. However, it is questionable whether traditional care delivery based on the Western model, which many volunteers apply, has a sustainable effect and, presumably, it has negative consequences for the local health care system in many developing countries. Four i's should be involved when trying to make tactful policy: 1. 'ideas' evidence-based interventions, 2. 'institutions', current regulatory processes and approvals of governments and participating societies, 3. 'interests', incentives and motives of societies to collaborate, 4. 'incidents', unexpected economic alterations in the country or an inspiring successful public prevention programme.