28 / 48
28
|
Volume 1 Issue 5
I
ssues and
P
eople
helping us fund these purchases to
deliver care at the level that we want.”
Changing lives
The Speroway teams have begun
to create lasting change. They are
revisiting communities for the third
or fourth time and seeing dramatic
improvements in the caries rates and
the general oral health of the patients.
“Unfortunately, many parts of Central
America have been subjected to
diet modernization, and it has just
played havoc on their dentitions,”
says Dr. Cottrell. “This is coupled
with no preventive programs—
many individuals have never seen a
toothbrush or toothpaste, so we’re
often starting from scratch. But it is
so encouraging to return and see
the programs running successfully,
and know that our work is making a
difference.”
The team’s goal is to improve the long-
term oral health of the communities
it serves. While extractions comprise
about 30% of the work they perform,
the volunteers try to address all aspects
of oral health care. “We try to work in
terms of restoration,” says Dr. Cottrell.
“Not just to remove abscessed teeth,
but to restore self-esteem and to take
the discomfort and disease out of
people’s mouths.”
To promote the
sustainability
of their efforts,
the volunteers
worked alongside
local medical professionals to convey
the standards of care that should
be delivered by health professionals
worldwide. “Part of what we do in
these missions is to serve in a teaching
capacity, providing continuing
education and hands-on learning
opportunities for local health care
providers,” says Dr. Cottrell. “The
ultimate goal is that eventually they
People sometimes forget that you can help underserviced
individuals in situations of high need right here in your own
community.
Dr. Jack Cottrell