"Kat tow Dentist t'ngai nih?!"

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little afraid to go to the dentist.  I've always had amazing dentists (Hi Dr. Bob!) and never had a particular traumatic event, but still something about it scares me.  Channy, 9, clearly had never been to a dentist before, as evidenced by a) her terrible teeth, and b) her begging me to take her.  Channy has been living at Wat Opot since September and before then had limited if any medical and dental care.  After a course of Amoxicillin for a tooth infection, and multiple complaints, today she finally got to go see a dentist for the first time.  She was ecstatic.  The HIV positive kids get to go to the doctor once a month.  They ride in tuktuks, eat lunch out, and get to leave and explore.  The HIV negative kids seem to think that they're really missing out, especially Channy.  She persistently asked "Kat tow dentist t'ngai nih?!" Kat, go to the dentist today?! for a solid week and was delighted when this morning I answered "yes!."

Melinda and LongDy drove us in the truck.  Cora came along, as well as Srey Aun, Srey Nich, and Sopheak who have all needed dental attention too.  It was difficult to get everyones schedules to align with school and weekend activities, but we finally made it work this morning.

Channy was up first.  Everything was old and basic, but you don't need much more here.  The chair really freaked her out and I think she instantly wondered what the hell she got herself into once she saw the tools and everything.  In this picture you can see her "you better put that camera down and get your ass over here to old my hand this instant, lady" look on her face.  I sat with her as she got a cavity filled and her teeth cleaned.  What was interesting though, is all of that was done without electricity, only tools by hand.  Our province is on an interesting power schedule.  We lose electricity from roughly 8:30am-11:00am, and then again from around 1:30pm- 5pm during weekdays.  The cause is unknown and many theories have been pitched from people in the community and the government, from "there isn't enough water during the dry season to run the plant," to "we get our electricity from Vietnam and they shut it off," to "they're working on the power lines and have to turn it off during working hours."  There are also many government theories behind it, but after blogspot was blocked here for a few months following someone speaking out against the government, I think I'll leave those theories out.  Anyway, we lose electricity a lot, which makes things difficult for local businesses and office workers.  We arrived at the dentist's around 9:30 this morning which meant no electricity but the dentist made it work.

Srey Aun was the next to go.  She had a little more of an audience.  Cora went in to sit with her, and LongDy and Srey Nich followed to see what was going on.  The dentists wife and little son also came in to watch.  Khmer people have a way of crowding, so I guess I didn't expect any different.

Who says you need expensive medical lights?  A wife holding a flashlight does the same job.

This was the extent of the dentist's office, which was the front room of his home.  He had an instrument sterilizer and took all safety precautions yet I have a feeling not too many Americans would jump at the opportunity to get in the chair.  I'm unemployed and without dental as of October 1 so this is looking like a great option!

Mixing up the girls' fillings while his baby sleeps nearby.  

The little boy was so cute.  He rocked the baby in the hammock and ran around entertaining.

Channy showing off her new filling.  A very satisfied customer. 

Melinda and LongDy hanging out in the waiting room watching the action.

The dentist decided that Srey Aun was in need of more than just a cleaning.  He flipped on his generator and got out the drill.  It sounds just as bad, no matter where you are in the world.  Srey Aun perked up and shot me a look like "you're not going to let them use that on me are you?!"  She was terrified but she did great.  This picture above is her watching him prepare everything, her eyes wide open and her hands clutching the chair.

Channy looked around and explored the office.  She was stunned to find the pile of molds on the bottom shelf and stared at them in horror for a few minutes.  I don't think she'll be begging to come back to the dentist any time soon!

Srey Nich is beautiful and sweet, but very insecure.  She has a false tooth in the front that often tries to hide.  In an effort to give her a boost, she's having a better tooth put in.  Todays trip was to remove the bad one and clean it out.  In two days we go back to have the new one put in, but until then she's missing her front tooth!  The dentist gave her a mask to wear until then to cover it up.  She has a great sense of humor about it, luckily, and is having fun with her missing tooth, but still Wednesday can't come soon enough!

Today sparked a frenzy of everyone deciding that they too want to go to the dentist.  Seeing all four of them today was only 50,000 riel, or roughly $12.50.  It's cheap and necessary so we will definitely keep taking those who need it.  Don't forget that the Summer Fun Fund excess goes to medical expenses such as these, so please donate!  The paypal button is on the righthand side of the page and again, every cent goes a long way!  On a related note, we had our first activity on Friday, the teen outing to Phnom Penh.  It was a huge success.  The pictures are being compiled and I can't wait to share it with everyone.  Stay tuned!