Dental Hygiene... a Sore Spot for our Survivors

 A few days ago, a partner organization in Kolkata informed us of a dental clinic being held for NGO staff members and the women they serve. We were invited to bring the Destiny team for this dental clinic, and quickly informed our women to mark their calendars. Dental hygiene is something severely lacking in the red light areas and slums, where our women lived for much of their lives. Some have never even seen a dentist, so the thought of going was caused a bit of anxiety. On the day we were invited to go, all but one woman refused to go saying "my teeth are fine" or "I'm scared they'll pull them all out!" I calmed their fears by assuring them that today was just going to be an examination and cleaning. Boy was I wrong!

So after convincing them to go, we all squeezed in a taxi and went off to the designated site. When we got to the clinic, I was amazed to see all American dentists and dental technicians. Through a church network they had organized the trip and come to give free dental exams and treatments to over 1,000 patients. They traveled to shelter homes around the city, and I can barely think of how much screaming they've had to endure in the past week. One dentist, Dr. Bob, told me that he had done 40 such trips, and to him "all 3rd world countries are the same. Kids are happy, women are oppressed, and teeth are bad."

Our women sat patiently waiting for their examination, but it was obvious they were all terrified. Some fussed with their dupattas, others kept busy talking on the phone, and some went totally silent. But each woman was seen, and some were worse than I had thought. In total, 8 teeth needed extraction because they were so badly decayed. I can't even remember how many fillings they had to do on cavities. As one woman was told she would need 2 teeth extracted, she glared at me as if to say "you promised no extractions!" Despite the crying, and their was a LOT of crying, each woman got her examination completed. 

A little concerned about why their teeth were in such bad state, I asked the women how often the brush their teeth. "Brush?" one woman asked. "Yea, you know, with a toothbrush and toothpaste." I replied. She looked confused for a moment and responded, "No didi, I use my finger." Hmm, mystery solved. Thanks to one of our recent volunteers, Tammy, I had enough donated toothbrushes and toothpaste for each woman. And the dental team gave me floss so I can teach them the joys of flossing. 

The best part of this whole experience was that I had to be the translator for all the patients that day. My Bengali is still not perfect, and I think I was saying (literally) "The doctor now your tooth goes up" to mean "The doctor will now extract your tooth."

Lesson of the day, brush your teeth!