Critical Incident Essay 2

Written by a University of North Carolina dental student

The two months of my rotations were filled with various experiences that taught me new aspects of dentistry and broadened my viewpoints on many issues. I previously had not been given the opportunity to provide dentistry for people with AIDS, or other end stage diseases. I had never been in the operating room before, using general anesthesia while performing full mouth extractions and alveloplasty. There are too many new things that I learned to list them all, but there was one incident that will forever stand out in my mind, that has nothing to do with anything that I did, merely something that I observed while sitting in the small town community dental clinic.

I had been at the clinic for about two weeks, and during this time I had learned a lot about the town’s culture. They are very proud, with lots of history and strength that is a result of living together in a very inhospitable part of the country for a very long time. However, at the same time I was very struck by the relative poverty in which they seemed to live. The town is not glamorous at all, and everyone seems to live a very simple life. This simplicity extended to the dental clinic. The clinic sees emergencies every morning from 8:00 until 12:30, and throughout the afternoon if someone walks in needing care. I was amazed at the number of people who accepted extraction of teeth as a normal life experience, and who had previous extractions already at a relatively young age. This is not to say that all the people that needed an extraction could care less, but many just felt that this is what happens. Even given the option to save the tooth, many would choose an extraction for the treatment to relieve them of pain.

I think that it all became very clear one day as I was waiting for radiographs, sitting in my operatory. I happened to look over into the pediatric room, where I could see a cute little girl sitting on her knees in the dental chair, waiting for the dentist to come in and see her. She was smiling, had pig tails, and just looked as happy as can be, as she drank soda through a straw, out of a big red and white Coke, 32 oz. size cup that she held tightly in her two hands. It was so perfect; I wish that I had a camera to capture that moment. I could even see the gleam of her stainless steel crowns on some of her posterior teeth. I mean she was in the dental chair, drinking Coke and her parents were right beside her! No one even gave it a second thought! It hit me right then, that the major dental problem is a lack of education. How much of dental disease could be prevented with an aggressive dental education program?

This moment is one that I will never forget. It is so clear what the problem is, and the reason why so many of the townspeople had compromised dentition. There is a need for better dental education, not only for the kids, but for the adults, who care for the children, and who can control what they eat and drink. I believe that this is true not only in this small town, but also for every community. I feel that it is pointless to practice restorative dentistry if there is not a heavy emphasis on preventative care and education. Many dental problems could be prevented if children and parents simply understood the cause of the problem. As a dentist it is my responsibility to educate my patients, and to spread this knowledge outside of my practice through volunteer efforts in schools and community activities.

My month at the clinic was one of the best months of my life, and one that I will never forget. I am so grateful that I was given this opportunity, and I will always remember the experiences that I had while I was there, working in the clinic and traveling around the state.