The dentist was focused on his patient, one of our Vida Chijacorral students. His wife, helping out with the examinations, had her eyes on the mom waiting for her child. “Can you check her too?” she asked her husband when they stepped out of the room for a moment. “She looks swollen to me.”
The mom had come into the clinic to seek care for her child, but thanks to the sharp eyes of one of our dental volunteers, her needs were seen too.
Yes, the mom answered when asked if she was in pain. After her daughter’s appointment, the dental team made time for her. A quick check revealed that she had a significant, potentially dangerous, dental infection. The pharmacy immediately provided antibiotics and asked her to return in a few days.
Five days later, the mom was back, this time with a smile on her face. With the swelling down and the pain gone, the dental team was able to use the recently purchased x-ray equipment to determine exactly where the problem was originating. It turned out that she had two deeply decayed molars, but the decay was between the teeth, where it wasn’t immediately obvious with a visual exam. The team was able to extract these molars, as well as another decayed tooth, preventing future infections.
A week later, we saw the mom again with another one of her children. She beamed a wide smile and was feeling so much better. She had been seen and she had been cared for.
We’re so thankful for the dental team that came to spend six weeks caring for the oral health of our children and families. They saw over 600 patients, and truly impacted body and soul while they were in Guatemala. We’re also thankful for those who have given towards health care in Guatemala. When you sponsor a child or class, you provide access to the Vida Medical Clinic for those children and their families. When you give health you provide a Guatemalan dentist and a Guatemalan doctor to provide continuity of care, as well as much-needed equipment and supplies. And sometimes, you help a Guatemalan mom in pain feel seen – and get the care she needs.