Key Takeaways:

• A free dental clinic will be established at Everest Base Camp during the spring 2027 climbing season
• The facility aims to serve Sherpa guides, Icefall Doctors, porters, support staff and climbers
• The clinic is expected to handle up to 1,000 patient visits during its six-week operation
• Organisers are also planning a similar mission at Manaslu Base Camp in autumn 2027

KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 29 A humanitarian dental clinic offering free treatment to Sherpa guides, Icefall Doctors, porters and other high-altitude workers will operate at Everest Base Camp during the spring 2027 climbing season. The Everest Lhotse Dental Expedition 2027 and Seven Summit Treks Pvt. Ltd. signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Kathmandu on Tuesday. Under the agreement, Seven Summit Treks will be the expedition's official expedition and logistics partner in Nepal. The mission is led by Dr. Aizhan Zhumabayeva, a dental surgeon licensed in Turkey, Dubai and Kazakhstan. The initiative is independent and retains full professional responsibility and clinical decision-making over all dental and medical activities. The clinic will run for roughly six weeks from a heated, insulated tent equipped with three portable dental treatment units, a sterilisation system, and power and clean-water arrangements. It is designed to handle up to 1,000 patient visits over the season. Planned services include: Simple and surgical tooth extractions; Assessment and management of acute dental infections; Emergency and, where clinically appropriate, root canal treatment; Restorative care for cavities, fractures and lost fillings Management of dental trauma and urgent conditions; and Preventive care, including cleaning, fluoride treatment and oral-health education. The team will include international dental professionals, Nepali dentists, dental assistants, an emergency physician and an operations director, with 10 to 12 people at Base Camp at any one time. The medical team plans to arrive about a week before the main climbing crowds to create an early treatment window, and round-the-clock dental support is planned for the summit push. Organisers said no payment will be expected from Sherpas or other mountain workers. Climbers and expedition members who use the clinic will also be treated free. Voluntary donations may be made to the Everest Dental Expedition Foundation, which will fund future missions. The next is planned for Manaslu Base Camp in autumn 2027, with a longer-term aim of reaching remote villages and high-altitude monasteries in Nepal. Seven Summit Treks will provide Base Camp infrastructure, cargo and helicopter logistics, permit and stakeholder coordination and local operational support. The expedition will manage the clinical team, equipment, materials and international partnerships. 'The people who make expeditions to the world's highest mountains possible deserve access to healthcare where they work,' said Dr. Zhumabayeva. 'Our goal is not simply to bring dentists to Everest Base Camp, but to establish a fully operational dental clinic and provide care throughout the entire Spring 2027 climbing season, working alongside Nepalese professionals.' Chhang Dawa Sherpa, director of Seven Summit Treks, said: 'It is our great honor to support humanitarian aid like this. Having spent decades in mountaineering, I know that dental hygiene is one of the least prioritized things by the high-altitude workers, and this will also help so many Sherpas and mountain workers realize the value of dental hygiene.' The expedition is also seeking recognition from Guinness World Records for its high-altitude dental work, and the partners intend to cooperate in the effort. Thaneswar Guragai, General Manager at the SST and also the Nepali who hold the most number of Guinness records, called the project 'truly one-of-a-kind' and said applications are being made for the official record in three titles, covering both Dr. Zhumabayeva and the initiative itself. The two parties also aim to raise awareness of the contributions and needs of the Sherpa and high-altitude worker community, promote responsible expedition practices in Nepal and showcase the Everest region.