NTM - New Tribes Mission | Planting Tribal Churches

To run a dental clinic well, it takes a team working together. We of course, need a dentist! (or two!)

Dr. Carr & Dr. Lovdahl

Then, there is someone who works as the dental assistant.

Dan assisting Dr. Lovdahl

Another person takes all the tools used after each patient and sterilizes them

Washing and sterilizing dental tools

and gets them back where they belong so the dentists can access them easily.

Then, someone else stays back at the house, doing food preparation, clean up, and running errands to the clinic with things we might need.

Kitchen girls

This is a very important job. The girls always have the food ready when we come up for lunch or supper. We can dig in and eat and have a few minutes of rest before we head back to the clinic.

Resting

And, then there is my job, which I guess you could call “Receptionist/Prep girl”. I greet each person as they come in, figure out what their complain is, register them, pull up their patient chart or create a new chart, and ask them to wait.

View from Front Desk

When the patient’s turn comes, I take them to the bathroom, give them a toothbrush and toothpaste to take home with them, teach them to brush their teeth, and give them oral hygiene instructions.

One of many daily teeth brushings

Then, I take them back to the dentist.

In between patients, sometimes I sit and wait with the ladies, listening to them chatter in their language, sometimes learning a new word, and sometimes communicating in Spanish.

At times, I accompany the women and children who are really scared throughout the exam and procedure.

This little girl was really brave and giggled as the dentist cleaned her teeth.

Except for the dentists, we rotate jobs sometimes depending on who is available to help in the clinic. I know how to clean and sterilize and the receptionist job.  I get a little queasy assisting the dentist, so I don’t get too involved in that job!

May 2011 Dental Team