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 My wife Sally and I have been lucky enough to find ways to use dentistry to allow us to see the world. We have found that
dental outreach programs have been some of the most exciting and unforgettable vacations we have taken. Our most
recent trips have sent us to Venezuala and Nicaragua. I enjoy these outreach programs with my alma mater, University of Missouri
at Kansas City. It's great fun to go to these places with students from the school. These young people are great ambassadors
for the school, for dentistry and for our country. While the political situations in these countries are questionable,
we find that the local people we meet are much like you and me. They love their families, there kids are everywhere and they
are all trying to improve their health. We tend to do many extractions at these clinics but we have developed mobile
dental units so we can do more restorative dentistry as well. In the towns that the dental school returns to each year, we
have been able to do follow-up treatment of the previous year and build relationships with the patients. It's amazing
to see how much dentistry is valued in these out of the way places. I see these trips as one of the fringe benefits
of the dental profession. It provides a way to see the world in a way other than a tourist. Doug Reid, DDS |
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I once read the concept
of mercy described as a quality that makes us sensitive to others pain and the desire to alleviate those
that are hurting. Dentistry provides constant opportunity to treat pain. The past several years I have begun to realize the
severity of dental needs both around the world and here at home in Colorado Springs. Severe dental infection affects every
group of people however the poor suffer most. Dental outreach has been one way that I am able to show mercy to those whose
basic needs have not been taken care of. The past three years, I have had the opportunity to go to the
small Cental American country of Belize and participate in a Medical/Dental mission. Our team works out of the Presbyterian
Medical Clinic in the small village of Patchakan. Many people in the village suffer from the effects of poverty, undiagnosed
systemic disease, severe dental infections and tooth decay. For most of the villagers, the only time they see a dentist is
when one comes for a few days from the U.S. It has been a great experience to go treat the Belizian people, they are always
so gracious.  After returning from Central America, I realized that there are groups of people in our own community that suffer
similiar to those in a third world country. For the past year I have been involved with a local ministry called the Mission
Medical Clinic (MMC). The goal of the MMC is to provide health care to a group of 'working poor' adults in our community
(>200% below poverty level) who cannot receive help from the state. The dental clinic has been in operation, and run with
local volunteers, for the past year. My goal is to restore dignity and function to these patient's smiles. Read more
about the MMC at www.missionmedicalclinic.org Brad Perrett, DDS |
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