We recently had the privilege of hosting the staff of Robertsdale Dental Care for a week of dental brigades. It is such a unique opportunity to have a whole team of dental care providers who can provide high quality dental care to the people of the Cangrejal River Valley. Dr. Jason Northcutt and his team conducted themselves with the utmost professionalism and compassion towards our patients. It was such an honor to serve alongside them and watch them work.
Monday and Tuesday we hosted dental brigades at our clinic in Rio Viejo. We had three dentists pulling teeth and three hygienists doing cleanings. Additionally, members of their staff helped translate, sterilize metals, and comfort those who were fearful of having their teeth pulled. It was so encouraging to overhear patients telling friends who were waiting that it didn’t hurt like they thought it was going to. Not only were we able to provide cleanings and extractions to the townspeople on our mountain, but we were also able to provide dental services to the students from Instituto El Rey across the street.
Wednesday we were able to hike out to Los Limpios to host a dental brigade at the church in that village. For the first time in almost 10 years we were able to leave a small fraction of our staff at the hospital to care for our patients while the team hiked out to host the dental brigade. We left our property as the sun was rising and hiked for two hours up to the church where many people were waiting patiently for us to arrive. The day was filled with so many baleadas, cups of coffee, and ice cream brought by our patients– not to mention all the teeth that were pulled! Kids sat on the front row of the church pews and watched with wide eyes as friends and family were cared for. Everyone seemed so invested in what we were doing. It was so sweet how many people brought food for us as a way to thank us for coming to their village with a dental team. What an honor to be loved by the people you’re showing God’s love to.
In just three days of brigade, the Robertsdale Dental team saw a total of 149 patients. What a joy it was to serve with a team that conducted themselves with such integrity, professionalism, and care! We can’t wait to welcome this phenomenal group back to our hospital.
This blog was written by guest writer Mckenzie Mcleod, 2023 HHG Intern.