The fact of finding children with dull smiles, children without happiness, with pain, children who were not able to dream about a promising future, children full of complexes who could not eat in an appropriate manner, all in all, children with oral diseases.
Aside from producing a significant concern, it gave me strength to understand that my mission as a dentist was to be a health promoter. I assumed that role with determination, belief and above all with passion; I started to train myself on the subject in a practical manner by developing and carrying out projects based on oral education and prevention.
It was hard at the beginning because I had to convince the communities that this would work and that with this work we were going to be able to improve children’s oral health as well as we would be able to achieve their change of attitude towards the concept of wellbeing. Likewise, I had to deal with my colleagues, politicians and executives. I had to convince my own students from University that this work was important to guarantee our children’s right to health and change. At present, I am satisfied because I achieved part of what I had proposed.

I was born in Caracas. My parents were Italian and I was educated within honesty, solidarity and love-for-work values. I attended the same school throughout all my childhood and studied dentistry within my aim to help other people. In 1989, I graduated at UCV and since then, I became a professor at said University. I am founder and president of Boca Sana (Healthy Mouth) Foundation.

Me enteré por la oficina regional de Ashoka. El incentivo es dar a conocer mi trabajo y que el mismo se pueda convertir en modelo para otros de la misma índole o para cualquier proyecto en general. Demostrar que hay que salir del tradicionalismo con que a veces se hacen las cosas para lograr más y mejores resultados