Key Insights Two: Unlocking Smiles Through Well-Being and Happiness

       In both the United States and South America, there is a significant gap in dental care access. Routine dental cleanings and checkups are prohibitively expensive, causing many patients to forgo essential visits. As a result, individuals often only seek dental care when experiencing pain or noticeable issues, leading to a focus on pain management rather than proactive restoration. This typically results in tooth extractions instead of more conservative treatments like root canals or crowns that could preserve the natural tooth. 

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       While these extraction techniques may provide immediate relief, they fail to address long-term health concerns related to chewing function and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) health. Consequently, patients may face increasingly complex and costly solutions down the line, such as dental implants or joint replacements. This health vs financial cycle highlights the urgent need for more accessible and affordable dental care to promote better overall oral health and prevent future complications. 

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       My passion for giving back to my community through education and cost-free services was further solidified in my honors college course, SCHC 385: Nonprofit Event Planning. This class focused on fundraising, planning, and volunteering for the Walk a Mile event hosted by Pathways to Healing. This vital nonprofit organization offers free services to survivors of sexual assault and abuse, supporting their recovery journey. By helping thousands of victims each year, Pathways to Healing plays a crucial role in the fight against sexual violence and abuse. Participating in this initiative deepened my commitment to community service and reinforced the importance of accessible care for those in need. 

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       Understanding the importance of covering costs for victims is transformative. It empowers them to seek the help they need without financial concerns becoming a barrier. This insight will profoundly influence my future practice. I’ve seen firsthand how financial constraints prevent families from accessing essential dental care, including cleanings and restorative treatments. My experiences with Pathways to Healing and my family’s journey have fueled my commitment to giving back to the community. 

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       During my shadowing experiences in both my hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Cusco, Peru, a troubling pattern emerged: many individuals struggle with access to adequate dental care. This issue is prevalent across both nations and poses a serious long-term challenge to oral health. Patients often resort to emergency rooms for dental pain due to the prohibitive costs of dental office visits. Unfortunately, emergency rooms are ill-equipped to provide the necessary treatments, typically offering only medication to alleviate symptoms (Carrasco-Lada et al., 2024). This cycle frequently sends patients back to dental offices, where they face a difficult choice: expensive procedures like root canals or the more immediate, yet detrimental, option of extractions. Root canals, while potentially saving the tooth, are often out of financial reach, compelling patients to opt for extractions instead (Carrasco-Lada et al., 2024). This ongoing crisis underscores the urgent need for affordable dental care solutions to prevent further complications and promote long-term oral health. 

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       I gained invaluable firsthand experience while working at a free dental clinic in Cusco, Peru with a nonprofit volunteer organization called Volunteers Around the World (VAW). One patient stood out vividly; she had avoided seeing her grandkids for two years due to debilitating tooth pain that severely impacted her health and quality of life. After extracting her affected tooth, the dentists provided her with immediate relief. I seized the opportunity to educate her on the importance of routine dental cleanings and demonstrated proper brushing and flossing techniques, as regular brushing is not a common practice in Incan culture. Later that week, she returned to share the joyful news that she had finally visited her grandkids. The extraction not only alleviated her pain but also restored her ability to engage fully in life. 

 

       Being able to educate her—and potentially her family—was a profoundly fulfilling experience that will stay with me forever. This moment has fueled my passion for dentistry, reminding me that cost is often the biggest barrier to improving someone's quality of life. Therefore, when I open my own practice, I am committed to dedicating two days each month to providing free dental care, with the possibility of starting a nonprofit dedicated to outreach in the underserved communities.  

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       Everyone deserves access to quality care, and I believe that financial barriers should never hinder one's path to better overall health. For many patients, affordability is a critical barrier to accessing the care they need. As I pursue my future career as a dentist, I believe it is essential to be a provider who genuinely cares about helping others rather than focusing solely on profits. At the end of the day, the true measure of success for me will be the positive impact I can make on my patients' quality of life. Knowing that I can contribute to their well-being and happiness will leave me with a bigger, brighter smile than any financial gain ever could. 

 

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Works Cited

Carrasco-Laba, Alosno, et al. “Evidence-based clinical practice guideline for the pharmacologic management of acute dental pain in adolescents, adults, and older         adults.” The Journal of the American Dental Association, February 2024, https://jada.ada.org/article/S0002-8177(23)00672-4/fulltext.Accessed 22 September             2024.