Day 11 Final Thoughts

Why We Fly

Gloria and I have been going on overseas dental service trips for almost as long as we have been practicing dentistry.  Many ask why. 

We have joined or led teams all over the world.  In China to provide dental care for older citizens who survived Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution.  In Cambodia treating local villagers at orphanages of children whose parents were killed by Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge.

In Vanuatu, blue water sailing among the islands to provide care to islanders that have never had access to dental care of any kind.  In Peru, joining a team of high school students drilling fresh water wells for families and communities in the Amazon Delta.

In Thailand, working alongside a group who trenched and laid a 2-mile pipe line for freshwater so that the village girls weren’t enticed to Bangkok’s sex trade.  Other trips to Mexico, Belize, India and Tonga to learn from the villagers how “simple life”, when without pain and disease, will impact generations to come.

And now the Philippines.  A great country consisting of 7,641 islands and over 100 million people.  They speak 150 languages and hundreds of dialects.  In many parts of the country medical and dental care is sparse or non-existent.  Since the trauma of WWII, I believe, this country has changed.  Many Western luxuries have become curses.  Specifically sugar in the diet. 

As people are waiting to have decayed and infected teeth to be removed they are drinking sodas and sucking on hard candy.  In conversation and confrontation, we are told that this is their “culture”, it is “who they are”.  I disagree.  Prior to the introduction of fast and processed foods, these people’s diets weren’t causing the pain and disease I see today.  They have, for generations, been surrounded by fresh fruit and have grown vegetables in their family garden plots.

We discovered that many parents aren’t aware of the relationship between sugar and tooth decay.  Others, unfortunately are, but because sugary foods and drinks are so prevalent; succumb to their child’s begging.  Additionally, parents frequently don’t model good oral health themselves.

One example:  As I was ready to pull seven infected and decayed teeth from a cute 8-year-old girl, I called for her mom to help calm the child.  When she came over, I discovered she was my last patient from whom I had just removed eight teeth!  Most people in their 40’s have already lost the majority of their teeth.  We saw few grandparents, for they have no teeth.

Further, we saw about 150 patients in 3½ days, pulling around 300 teeth.  In total, I saw three fillings, three stayplates, (small partial dentures to replace a few missing front teeth), and two “swedge crown”, more like mouth jewelry.  In other words, except for those 7 people, none of our patients have either been to a dentist in their lives, or may have gone, but just to have a tooth extracted. 

So, dentistry is either inaccessible or unaffordable.  So what can we do? Prevention.  What’s to stop us from encouraging these fine people to reduce or eliminate processed food and sugars from their diets.  They grow or raise most of their food now. All villagers have a small garden and pens for chickens, goats and pigs.  Fresh fruit grows on trees everywhere.

Education is a priority in the country.  I have seen many more schools then churches.  Perhaps this is where we start.  Provide the means and training to educate the teachers and students in the importance of diet and how it can affect their health and future.  The Filipinos need and deserve this.  It is the least we can do.

The Future?  Our vision is to pursue working with the local town leaders to introduce the children at school to a better diet and oral care.  If successful, our new friends will lead healthier, happier and longer lives.