U.S. Army Dentists Create
Smiles In Nicaragua
By Staff Sgt. Kristen King, 807th
Medical Command Public Affairs
MATEARE, Nicaragua - In support of U.S. Army
South's Beyond the Horizon mission, the Army
Reserve's 307th Dental Company from Vallejo,
Calif., returned from Mateare, Nicaragua,
after providing dental services for over
1,200 Nicaraguans from April 12 - April 22.
In partnership with the National Assembly of
Nicaragua, Army South conducts Beyond the
Horizon, a humanitarian and civic assistance
mission focused on providing medical and
engineering support to the people of the
region. As part of the mission, more than 30
Soldiers provided dental work and performed
over 3,200 procedures, ranging from
cleanings and fillings to extractions and
root canals. Many patients also received
dentures.
"The services we prefer to offer are those
that allow people to be taken out of pain,
usually by performing extractions and
treating infections. On this mission, we've
done a lot more than that," said Maj.
Alexander Farr, Commander of the 307th
Dental Company.
Dr. Valera Vasquez, a Nicaraguan dentist,
said people in rural areas are not educated
on dental care and "if they do have money,
they won't use it for dentistry. It's not a
priority for them." According to Vasquez, a
simple tooth extraction may cost $10 in the
only dental clinic in Mateare, but that's a
lot to ask a schoolteacher who only makes
$150 per month, much less a street vendor or
waiter.
The 307th treated over 1,200 people in the
town of Mateare, about 25 miles north of the
capitol city of Managua. The first few days
were the longest, with nearly 150 patients
treated. After that, the daily total was
reduced to 100 new patients and leveled at
about 80 new patients and several
follow-ups.
The procedures performed were meant to fix
the immediate problems versus starting a
procedure that would need upkeep by a
dentist or on the patient's part.
Capt. Benjamin Owens from Vacaville, Calif.,
said they used silver fillings instead of
clear ones because "they last longer in this
environment where people might not take care
of them." When a filling might not last, the
tooth was extracted to reduce pain and
eliminate any future issues.
"We're doing a lot of good for a lot of
people," said Spc. Russ Stobbe, of
Taylorsville, Utah. Stobbe is a dental
hygienist and volunteered for the Nicaragua
mission to help others. "Some of the people
walk for a good 4 to 5 hours to get here for
free services. We're making them feel better
and it makes me feel good at the end of the
day."
Farr, a civilian dentist in the San
Francisco Bay area said it's hard to leave
his practice for two weeks, but "I love
these missions. I will keep doing it."
Although some Soldiers spoke fluent Spanish,
there was a definite communication barrier
among most of the unit.
Lucky for them, the smiles and hugs at the
end of day let the Soldiers know they were
appreciated. Stobbe said one of his patients
came back everyday just to say "hola." "He
was nine and needed a filling. By the end of
the day, we gave him a filling and
extraction and performed two extractions on
his mother, plus put a bridge in her mouth.
They were very grateful," said Stobbe.
The 307th left behind medical equipment for
local dentists to continue their work. Farr
visited the dental clinic in Mateare and
found they only had four syringes and a
vintage sterilization system.
"That's not enough for a day's work without
having to constantly sterilize equipment."
The equipment left behind includes 20
syringes, as well as dozens of other dental
necessities.
The Nicaragua mission was part of a broader
humanitarian effort that includes medical
teams and construction projects by the Army
Corps of Engineers. The Army will send
several Reserve medical and dental teams to
Nicaragua and other Latin American countries
throughout the year.
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