SATURDAY - SEPTEMBER 1
FIRST CLINIC DAY
SANTO DOMINGO
Our first day in clinic was chaotic and amazing all at the same time. Dr. Roy prepared us on the bus but said by the end of the day we would be working as a team as Dr. Patricia said.
He was right of course! As we set up a school room into a dental clinic it was awesome to watch each individual come together to make it happen. Within 45 minutes the space was transformed and we were ready to start.
Before we began, Marissa from Esperanza gave us a session on Esperanza. We were led in a prayer by a local pastor. Seeing our first patient was a process of getting oriented and figuring out where our instruments and materials were! When we started to work on patients time flew by and before we knew it lunch was being served.
We were able to take care of many people this day and we all left the clinic feeling like we had left things better than when we arrived.
Our final event for the day was a team dinner. We went to a family style restaurant and got to spend more time getting to know each other. It was a long day, it was a hot day, it was a fulfilling day. As Dr. Roy predicted, it was the first day of the next part of our lives. I won't be the same and I don't think the others with me will be either. Mike and I are already planning for our next trip to the DR with our kids.
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First you have to get there....and Dr. Roy loves to give those instructions on the bus!
We love him! |
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| Dr. KEN HOVDEN - first day and one of his first patients |
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| If you want to know how to set up the Clinic - just follow Glenda! |
DR. TOM RHODES ---Getting ready!
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| Chase Larsen (3rd year dental student) with great help from Mike Bailey |
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| Yes...this is what waiting looks like! |
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| The dental chair is a plastic lawn chair; the headrest is a wrapped up towel BUT each patient gets the loving care just like they would in any Crown Council office! |
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| No morning starts without some instruction and discussion about why we are here. Yes...we're going to see a lot of teeth...but the mission is about loving the people. Dr. Roy Hammond |
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| The women of Hygiene! |
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| And DEE keeping everything sterile! |
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| Dr. Chris Hoyal - on his fourth Dominican Expedition give instructions to his grandchildren. |
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| ELENA BEFORE |
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Elena AFTER
Elena was an ESPERANZA associate Dr. Ken Hovden worked on. She's waited at the last four trips to get teeth. Today was her day. When her friends and family saw her they screamed with excitement. Elena was one of the last people we could take care of. When we were getting to leave Marissa from Esperanza brought Elena on to our bus to give us a message. She said she prayed blessings for us all because we had been sent by God to bless so many. It was so great to be a part of changing her life.
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| Dr. Todd with the clinic in the background. |
Is your child scared to go to the dentist? Pediatric dentists can make going to the dentist fun. They tell jokes, play movies for your child, and most of all, have experience in handling children's dental phobias. Read on to learn more about ways to ease your child's fear of the dentist.
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