For some reason, today I completely lost my emotions at the dental clinic. A sweet little girl of about seven years came in and sat quietly in the chair waiting to be seen by our senior dental therapist, Solote. Since Dad was doing a large case of seventeen (yes that number is right) fillings with his amazing assistant, Sina, on a handsome eleven year old boy, I moved over to watch as she was examined. Wearing pink leggings and a little worn tee shirt, her sweet eyes were like large brown pools. I could tell she was worried. Her Dad sat behind her on the bench. I asked if she wanted me to hold her hand but she kept looking back over her shoulder at at him with such trust. When her mouth opened I was horrified to see that all of her baby teeth were completely rotten. Her Dad was told she needed extractions and soon tears started to well. But they weren’t just her tears. Mine started flowing too. I soon became completely overcome. At first I sat on the bench with the father and then I finally had to move into another room as I tried to contain myself. But I just could not. The tears just ran down my cheeks in a river. There is absolutely nothing that makes me more sad here than to see the totally avoidable come to pass. No child should ever have this happen to them. No little child should be told that it is their fault at this age. Parents need to take responsibility. If you can’t afford a toothbrush whittle a stick and chew on it. I would say to the parents if they could understand me, “Please, please, please forgo the sweets that are destroying the health of your precious children! Wake up to what is happening!” I am developing a short one minute presentation I will give to all parents who bring their families to us from now one. It will be short, to the point, heartfelt, and I hope well received. Twenty years ago Tongans had great teeth. Today they are a country of dental cripples. I am reading a book called “Where There is No Dentist”. It is written from the perspective of a Health Care Worker who has devoted his life for many years to third world countries, where there literally is no proper oral health care. The author talks about diet, providing extractions, mending broken jaws, and filling cavities, and helping people with various diseases including HIV. He speaks to health workersin places where there are no professionals to lend a hand. I feel I have been given an education that has opened my mind to many things as I’ve made my way through his book. In any case, I think that what we have witnessed in the last weeks finally just caused my emotional bucket to overflow. There is nothing I would rather do right now than put an end to this suffering. For now however, I must just take it one day at a time. We will do our very best to leave a mark. Maybe somehow it will make a difference. I hope with all my heart that it will.
xoxoxoMom
Phil and Jan's Adventure in Tonga 