It is again great news to have the Cadena de Amor provide dental care for another village's children. The important component of dental education is still provided to each group of children.
Lots of preparation goes into setting up for a dental clinic in a village school, including have a dentist or other volunteer who can do electrical work. Often the existing wiring can't handle the demand for to operate the compressors needed for the dental equipment.
Team members work quickly to set up the clinic for the next day. We have a truck full of supplies when we leave from Tegucigalpa for a village school. This portable equipment works quite well, although much of it needs to be assembled.
Here we see a group of children waiting for this half day session to begin. First they will all have a talk on diet and oral hygiene, then they will practice their brushing technique with their new toothbrushes.
Cadena de Amor follows the best practices of COVID detection and prevention at all times. I think the dogs are there to verify that all is done correctly. They maybe employees of the government. Who knows? Actually they are some of the more healthy looking dogs you are likely to see in these villages.
Students gather in a classroom for Dr. Jose or Dra. Gloria to begin the 30-minute dental hygiene talk. Next, they will all get new toothbrushes and practice brushing and spitting outside.Then it is time to wait for their turn, and despite the sometimes long wait, the children are patient and play happily under the watchful eyes of their parents.
Seems the government dental inspector is sleeping under the dentist chair! Or maybe his boy brought him along for security or to guarantee painless treatment! Fortunately, my own experience is that the most likely thing to happen is you get a bad case of flea bites, but it's all in a day's work in a village. Truthfully, the people you meet in these villages are wonderful, dogs are easy-going, and the kids are mostly amazing well behaved in the dental chair.
Lastly, Cadena de Amor tries to have a simple gift for each child to have after their dental treatment. It is not much, but it is just one way the team of Cadena de Amor cares for the children of Honduras.
There will be another clinic this month and I may have more pictures. But most of all I am looking forward to November when I can be there and blog from Honduras (providing I have good internet connection!).