The dental grind. We’ve all experienced it. The routine of racing against the clock, procedures not going well, anxious patients, not having time for lunch, staying late to write notes, aching backs, managing the practice, and then repeating it all the next day. We love dentistry, and we hate dentistry. Time to give up? No, it’s time to give back.
Most people take a vacation when they are tired of the hustle. I did the opposite. I decided to do more dentistry by signing up for a dental outreach trip. I was reluctant to go. So many thoughts went through my mind like, “Why should I help people in another country when my own country needs help?” and “Would the money I spend on flight and expenses be better spent with a donation?” and “Should I spend a week of my limited vacation doing dentistry?” My mind was made up when my friend, dental lawyer, Michael Carabash, who has done over a dozen dental outreach trips, persuaded me to go. “Trust me,” he said. “It will change your life.”
I needed a change. I packed my loupes, scrubs, and sunscreen and went to Grenada last August with Great Shape! Inc. 1000 Smiles, which is supported by the Sandals Foundation. We treated hundreds of patients using portable dental equipment in makeshift clinics with no air conditioning in hot and humid weather. We were racing against the clock trying to care for all the patients who were waiting for hours. Many of them had never been to a dentist before and we had to win their trust and put them at ease. We quickly ate lunch and wrote our notes so we could help the next patient in line. The materials and equipment were pretty good, but we all missed our favourite things. Our backs hurt, our scrubs were soaked in sweat, and we repeated it all the next day. Then I repeated it the next year. I was back in Grenada this August on the volunteer grind. I loved it!
You are probably wondering, “Why would you like this?” To answer this, don’t look at it from the outside. From the outside, it looks like the same hustle in a different country. Instead, look at it from the inside—from inside your soul. Volunteering expands your soul and fills your heart. During a humanitarian trip, you are doing dentistry for nothing in return except for the love between you and your patient. You realize you have such important skills that people wait all year for you to come and then wait hours for you in the heat when you arrive because your hands and heart can help them. You love dentistry again. You love yourself again.
I remember a young Grenadian girl with long braids and a colourful beaded bracelet that spelled “Smile.” Michael and I took care of her, and I asked her what she wanted to be when she grows up. I was surprised when she told me she wanted to be a dentist. I was surprised she wanted to be like me. That’s when I knew that dentistry isn’t a grind; it’s a gift.
About the Author
Dr. Sanjukta “Sanj” Mohanta is a general dentist practicing at Filling the Gap Dental Outreach, a charity in Toronto. She graduated from the University of Toronto Faculty of Dentistry in 1999 and recently received their Alumni of Influence Award. Interested in volunteering? Contact Sanj at sanjuktamohanta@hotmail.com.