CU's Global Dental Brigade works alongside the听Global Medical Brigade to provide a hollistic model of healthcare reform. 听In the same temporary medical clinic, dentists听provide pro-bono dental procedures and medications to patients. 听Volunteers shadow local and foreign Dental professionals and听assist with teeth cleaning, instrument sterilization听and educating community members about proper听dental hygiene. 听Below is an example itinerary for a mock dental brigade and a more in-depth breakdown of the dental clinic.
Anatomy of a Dental Brigade
Patients who enter the medical clinic, if need be, go through three dental stations. 听The first, cleaning and dental-hygiene education. 听Here听students teach patients how to clean their teeth by physically cleaning them as dentists would do听to kids learning how to brush their teeth in America. 听While cleaning teeth,听students communicate in Spanish to听patients where to brush, for how long, how to floss听and not to swallow the toothpaste! 听After听patients have听clean teeth, students bring them听to the dentist.
The dentists have lots of patients to see听and all听for the same reason 鈥� extractions. 听Extractions are the most common procedure performed because听almost the entire population neglects to take proper care of their teeth. 听Many of their teeth rot,听fall out听and cause other health problems. 听In order for dentists to extract the teeth in a humane manner, they听numb the patients' mouths with a local anesthetic. 听There is no听time to spare for patients to wait for the anesthetic to take effect听in the dentist's chair, so听we send听patients to another room until the anesthetic kicks in. 听Upon the students'听approval that听the anesthetic has worked to the extent intended,听patients听are听brought back听to the dentist's chair for their extraction.听
Unfortunately,听students can't remove the teeth themselves, but they take an important role in the extraction procedure. 听Because the building we work听in does not have electricity or any dental equipment, students are responsible to provide light for dentists as well as听dental instruments when听needed. 听This station听gives students a huge learning opportunity and rare experience because they are听immediately over the patient while the extraction is underway.
Even though we are in a developing country, we ensure instruments, protocols听and procedures are up to American听standards. 听Each set of instruments must be sterilized after use. 乐播传媒 are fully responsible for this as well as putting together trays of medical instruments for certain dental procedures. 听This station gives students a different perspective of dental work by enabling them to understand the importance and process of sterilization.