Guatemalan Dentistry

A dream come true. Jen and I had been planning on going with a group from the dental school down to Guatemala for a week of dental work since last October. Then Jen's condition changed and I finally had to put my foot down and suggest that she not go - if anything had happened I couldn't have forgiven myself. So instead, my youngest brother Matt filled in.

On August 1st, we flew through LA to Guatemala, arriving at 5:30 in the morning. That gave us a full day to explore the city of Antigua and spend money on some souvenirs (ask Matt about his awesome Tambor). After buying lots of trinkets, eating fried corn from a street vendor "save me a piece of that corn" and walking in on a wedding at the local cathedral, we took a trip up to the active volcano just outside of town. It was awesome. You couldn't summit because the sulfur content in the air was so high that you would die from asphyxiation in a matter of minutes. Instead, we just walked on the hardened lava bed and looked at the fiery lava through the cracks. It made for some great marshmallow roasting even though I thought my face might boil and fall right off.

The next day, we took off with the rest of the group to San Martin de Jilotepeque where we would stay for the rest of the week. The days consisted of treating kids from a local elementary school. It was mostly amalgam fillings and extractions, but I did get to do a handful of anterior composites. We were initially afraid this girl would lose her two front teeth as they were terribly decayed. Her mom was afraid she would never be able to get married if that happened. As it turned out, big holes were able to be filled and she is still smiling as beautiful as every. These kids would line up in the morning, some staying all day long before being treated, yet not a single word of complaint. And then they would sit in your chair with most not even blinking an eye through all of the procedures. It was a testament to how they have had to deal with difficult situations their whole lives. It broke my heart to see them with clothes too small or too big and shoes worn out at least 3 years ago, yet still so happy and gracious. We all left wishing we could do more. At the very end of the week, one of the classes lined up and one by one brought us all flowers. Their teacher gave a speech, concluding by saying "when those that have give to those that have not, we believe there is balance and equilibrium in the world." It was a humble reminder of how good and easy our lives really our - we have so much. It was a pleasure to serve them for that week.
We ate well the whole week, worked hard and were exhausted when the day came to an end. Its a good thing that we were tired as Matt and I had the worst beds known to man. It was the equivalent of a thin foam pad resting on top of a ladder. But we were tired and not even the attack dogs just outside our window could ruin the week.
Sooner than we knew it, we were on our way back to Antigua and then flying back home. What a great trip. Next time I'll have to stay a little longer so I have time to see some more of the tourist locations.