Our Dental team usually consists of three or more Dentists, several
senior dental students and up to 20 volunteers. During the past
few years we have had from one to four Honduran Dentists to work with
us also.
Some of our volunteers have present or previous professional experience, but
that is not necessary. Other volunteers come from all walks of life,
housewives, teachers, construction and maintenance trades, college and seminary
students, information technologies, mechanical engineers, administrative
personnel and many others.
Much work is necessary to setup our dental clinic upon our arrival. As
you can see from the following photos it can be quite crowded. We have
enough of our own equipment to provide electricity, suction, air and water at
each workstation. We have made our own dental chairs that fold up easily;
they are covered with a foam rubber pad and plastic sheet.
By the time we arrive at our clinic we usually find a long line of patients that
have walked most of the night, or sometimes rode on a bus, to secure their chance
to get help. Most of our patients have never seen a dentist during their
entire lives. When they have trouble with their teeth they have no choice
but to hope the problem takes care of itself or they try to pull their
own teeth. In either case they are usually experiencing discomfort if not mind
numbing pain.
In addition to the dental stations we also have one support station and the
sterilization station to setup. The support station is used to mix amalgam,
used to fill teeth, and provide other support for restorative procedures.
The sterilization station provides a means of preparing patient trays and
instruments for reuse.
Sterilization is something we must take very seriously, for our patients protection
as well as our own. The process starts by removing everything from the
patient’s tray. All “sharps” (needles, scalpel blades,
etc.) are carefully placed into a US industry standard disposal container
(we transport these home with us for safe disposal). Then instruments are
cleaned using local water to remove any gross debris. Next the instruments
are placed into a cold sterile solution like the kind used to sterilize
a barbers tools. The product we use eliminates 99.9% of all disease
with a minimum of 15 minutes use. Last the instruments are rinsed in
a solution of 50% bottled water and 50% hydrogen peroxide. If something
isn’t sterile it will fizz. When we detect this, the culprit is
recycled until it is sterile. All others are dried and placed at their
assigned location on the instrument table, ready for reuse.
The following segment shows the normal routine for patients in our Dental Clinic.
1. Since most patients have never used a toothbrush the first thing we do is
give each patient a toothbrush and toothpaste to keep. Then we use
professional props to demonstrate proper brushing and other oral hygiene
techniques, and the patients learn by brushing their own teeth. Wherever
possible, we take advantage of the opportunity to visit schools and teach the
students good oral hygiene also. After each patient has brushed and can
meet our inspection they proceed to the next station.
2. Next each patient will register and give a brief healthcare history. This
is important to determine if any pre-existing conditions are present that would:
-
Prevent a useful examination (i.e. problems too severe for us to handle).
-
Has a medical condition(s) that will prevent them from receiving treatment
(i.e. allergies, heart conditions, wounds, malaria, etc.)
-
Are presently taking medications.
-
Are pregnant or breast feeding (can’t have anesthesia).
-
Limit communication with our team (general literacy, we also have Spanish
interpreters present).
-
Have received any previous dental care.
3. After it has been determined that patients can receive our care they are
given a general exam, the pertinent data is marked on their chart and, if
needed, they are given anesthesia.
After the anesthesia has been administered patients wait to see a Dentist and
give them time for their mouth to become numb.
4. Many patients need restorative work and extractions.
When this is the case the patient will go to a restorative station first. These
procedures do not cause any bleeding and will allow the patients mouth to remain
clean. This is important to reduce the time needed to prepare them for extractions.
First patients will have a dentist drill or otherwise remove all decay and debris
from the teeth to be filled. Then the teeth are filled and sculpted to provide a
natural bite.
5. If the patient has been in the clinic too long the initial anesthesia will begin
to wear off. When this happens, more anesthesia will be administered at the
current workstation. Since the patient has already been numb very little wait
time will be needed before our work can proceed.
More often than not it is necessary to remove root tips that have been left to
abscess after a tooth has broken or rotted off or the patient tried to pull their
own tooth. In other cases badly decayed teeth are removed.
6. After all dental work has been completed patients
that have had extractions will usually receive one or more medications to prevent
infections and relieve pain. Most patients walk to our clinic and must also
walk home, with children in tow. We would have a very hard time living with
such hardships.
7. The last stop for the patient is to receive a Spanish New Testament and a word of
praise for enduring what must be a very traumatic experience for them. We provide
the reassurance that God will provide for all of our needs.
Throughout the day as other family members wait for patients our Spiritual leader has
the opportunity to discuss the religious needs of the families. Many have a
well developed knowledge of the Bible and such discussions are welcomed. The
blessings of these missions are many.
This concludes our review of the Dental Mission. If you would like more information
about our missions please contact our church office at 817-284-1677, we welcome all
inquiries.