Free Dental Care

Thursdays are my day to rotate around the different departmental clinics at the school to assist.  In addition to this, we are also required to make a visit to a local free health care clinic in town called KC Free.  Yesterday, another student, Matt, and I went to this clinic about 30 blocks EAST of the dental school.  Not such a great area, especially sense our professor told us to take the worst vehicle between us.  

Upon arrival, we were greeted by the receptionist and "head lady," Cynthia.  Cynthia gave us some paper work to fill out and then turned us over to a lady named Natalia.  Natalia did not speak very good English and spoke quieter than a wisper.  She informed us that she was previously a dentist in Russia, but was in America to come to a US dental school.  Amazingly, she was working in this clinic as a assistant just to learn English.  Apparently, there is a stark difference between America and the world when it comes to dentistry.  Anyway, Natalia immediately introduced us to the X-ray machine and processing of the film.  When she, Matt and I were processing the film together in the pitch black, it was funny.  I was glad to know how to do it though.  Afterward, the dentist arrived at the clinic and we began assisting.  It is sort of hard to do because you really don't know how to interact with the patient and the doctor.  You don't want to make the patient uncomfortable with tons of water pooling in their mouth, or even worse, water drooling out of their mouth.  Of course both things were going on while I was assisting.  You also try to keep out of the doctor's way at the same time.  After the dentist checked him out she instructed Cynthia to teach me to "clean this man's teeth."  Cynthia spent about 20 seconds showing me how to work the foot petal and handpiece, and sent me on my way.  Sweating bullets by this time, I would have been really nervous if it wasn't for the rap music playing in the background.  (Attn Tripp: The dentist was singing along to "stuntin is a habit") So I pulled up a chair and began with the back teeth and worked my way around cleaning his teeth, just like a hygienist does at the dentist.  I also flossed his teeth and gave him flouride. 

It was really fun, and I enjoyed it so much.  I'm sure the patient was just rolling his eyes because it wasn't any secret that I had never done this before.  Cynthia taught me sitting right next to him.  The whole experience was hilarious, but it was great to get a taste of what "real dentistry" will be like.