Near Caribbean Cane Fields, RSDM Helps Villagers

On a first-time dental mission to the Dominican Republic last month, RSDM students worked at a clinic near a sugar plantation, treating the children of field workers and those from a nearby orphanage.

Tooth decay was rampant — in part because of the kids’ habit of gnawing cane and a diet high in sugars and starch — but mostly due to poverty. Dental care was out of reach for many, said Dr. Hermino Perez, who led the trip to the village of La Romana, where they also treated patients at a mobile clinic.

“There were a lot of fractured and broken teeth, ’’said Perez. “Many of them didn’t want to smile, but when they saw results of our work, they were smiling all over the place.’’

The outreach program was a collaborative effort between World of Smiles, Fundacion Mir and Rutgers School of Dental Medicine with the support of Henry Schein Cares, the International College of Dentists and the New York Academy of Dentistry.

In four days, the team provided dental services to 111 patients ranging from 6 to 17, and a total of 170 dental procedures.

For student Zak Yermolenko, the trip was a chance to educate children about oral health and help them feel at ease with dental work.

He remembers one 11-year-old girl who had never been to a dentist before and needed a cavity filled. She was terrified after she saw the tray of dental instruments, but Yermolenko put her at ease, slowly talking her through the steps, from anesthesia to drilling. “I was able to be calming and reliable that she can now have trust in the dentist and not be afraid. I feel like I changed her perception of dental care,’’ he said. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMHB5LyAPr8