In May 2017, just prior to becoming the President of the Ontario Dental Association (ODA), I was at a meeting in Muskoka to address the dentists in the area. It was at this meeting that I met Dr. Laurie Houston. Our discussion quickly moved from one of current issues that the dental profession was facing to one of global access to dental care. I had always been interested in participating in a dental mission project, providing dental care to those in third world countries, however, carrying out my duties as a Director of the ODA Board left me little time to consider this. That discussion, however, changed my life and over the course of that year and after several discussions with Dr. Houston, I had made the commitment to join her team on one of her mission trips.
On January 29, 2020, I set off to Antigua, Guatemala with a wonderful team, which included two dentists, a registered dental hygienist and myself.
Being an orthodontist and not having practiced general dentistry for 28 years, I was not sure of how I would provide assistance to the team. One of my roles became clear shortly after getting to the hostile, which we would be calling home for the duration of our stay in Guatemala. I did have some rudimentary Spanish language skills, having taken Spanish for two years in university, which came in handy as I quickly became the translator for the group.
In addition to honing my dental assisting and general trouble-shooting skills, I put my language skills to use. I used them not only to communicate with the dental clinic staff, but more importantly to communicate with and comfort the patients who came to see us from villages in the area; many of whom had never been to a dentist before and had to have significant dental work done.
I was excited to be a part of this mission and to immerse myself in the Guatemalan culture, but I was not prepared for the effect that this work, these people and this country would have on me! I learned so much from these wonderful people. Many were very apprehensive to be sitting in our chairs, but sat still and quietly through it all, taking the hand that I offered them along with words of encouragement. I felt, at those moments, a bond with each and every one of these people that I will carry with me and cherish; a feeling that I was a part of something much bigger than all of us!
There is a saying; “People do not always remember what you say to them, they do not always remember what you do for them, but they will always remember how you made them feel.” Although our verbal communication was limited, I will always remember how these people made me feel through their smiles and hugs expressing their gratitude. This, to me, was truly one of the highlights of my professional career, and one that I would not trade for anything in the world! I am looking forward to when we finally put this pandemic behind us and can continue this important work.
