Hiatus over!

It feels great to be back! The afternoon schedule was comprised of one composite filling, three extractions, and a couple of try-ins, where the patient tries on a wax denture to make sure everything fits right before the final acrylic denture is made. I assisted on one of the extractions. On a previous visit, the young lady was told that she needed all of her teeth extracted because there was too much decay. All of her teeth were rotted and cracked, some even down to the gum line. I could only imagine how much pain she was in and how she was able to eat. The mouth is divided into quadrants, and we began on the lower right side of her mouth. We extracted a total of eight teeth, but that was only the beginning of the procedure. In order to be fitted for dentures, the bone underneath the gums has to be completely smoothed down once the teeth are out. If there are little bumps and ridges after the gum heals, the dentures won't be able to fit properly, and the suction won't be there to hold them in place. This procedure to smooth the bone down is called an alveoloplasty. The dentist cut open the patient's gum using a surgical blade to reveal the bone, where she then drilled to remove any sharp points. Afterward, the gums were stitched back together for healing. In her upcoming visits, she will need to basically repeat today's procedure for the rest of her three quadrants - extraction followed by alveoloplasty. Needless to say, alveoloplasties are bloody.

One of the best events that happens at the dental clinic is when patients finally receive their new teeth. First of all, here's just a quick summary of what patients go through when they are admitted into HHH's dental program. In their first visit, X-rays are taken of their teeth, and the dentist lays out a plan for fixing their teeth. Any teeth that cannot be saved are extracted first, followed by any fillings, then a deep cleaning, and ending with the actual denture process. The denture process takes place over four visits. The first visit is when impressions are made. These impressions are sent to a lab, where they are turned to a wax model. The second visit is a bite registration, where the dentist records where the patient's bite is on the wax. The third visit is called the wax try-in, where the wax now contains the teeth that will be used in the final dentures. If the dentist sees that everything is perfect, the wax models are sent to the lab, where the acrylic dentures are made. In the last visit, the patients receive their new dentures. As you can see, it's a long and painful process from start to beginning. Oftentimes, patients go an extended time without teeth after they are extracted.

It's no surprise when patients finally receive their dentures that everyone in the clinic experiences a sense of happiness. When the patients look into a mirror with their new teeth for the very first time, they burst into a wide smile, a smile which they have suppressed for quite some time. That single smile is what we work for, and it's always worth celebrating. It's amazing what this smile can do for our patients, as it gives them a whole new outlook on life. Many of them remark on how they can interact with others now, and some even say that they can now confidently go to job interviews to better themselves. One of HHH's goals is to give dignity to the homeless through accessible healthcare, and this is one prime example of a goal achieved.