Be True to Your Teeth, and They Won't Be False to You

As much as my co-workers continued to speculate about whether or not I was on the same incoming flight as the young boy diagnosed with the H1N1 Swine Influenza in Guayaquil, Ecuador last week, they were able to put their fears aside to organize this weekend's Dental Campaign in Allpacruz.

We assembled the Ascend team, and with the addition of a local dentist and two dental students from the Catholic University, headed up into the hills to provide basic education, supplies, and dental exams to local families.

After the young ladies from the Dental School took the townspeople through a course in the basics of dental care and every last tooth was brushed, everyone lined up outside of the schoolhouse, where the Dental Doctor began exams. Children went first, followed by their parents.

While most received basic check-ups and cleanings, a few unlucky souls needed some teeth pulled. They were all troopers about it though, and as the hours passed and the sun burned through the clouds to beam down upon the town square, the line outside the schoolhouse slowly diminished.

The children passed into the next classroom to write thank-you cards and then streamed out onto the concrete soccer field (also the town square) to play a makeshift game of volleyball, which ended up turning into soccer after not too long. Mark and I joined in.

As we boarded the bus back to Cuenca, we were all happy that the villagers had turned out in such great numbers and enthusiasm that day. They appreciate the work that Ascend is doing in the village, and recognize the value of the opportunity to better their health and education. This positive connection with the people of Allpacruz gives us hope for further achievements in the region.

Tomorrow we return with local physicians to provide medical exams, and Wednesday I begin teaching English classes in San Vicente and Yunallpa. I can't wait to see the kids again.


This little girl examined her sister's mouth for her after her exam, just to double check that everything was O.K.

Allpacruz, Quingeo, Ecuador. May 2009. (Photos: Caleb Braley)