Stephanie Leung DMD 15 and a young Nicaraguan patient
From February 9–18, 2015, Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) DMD 15 students Michelle DaRocha, Stephanie Leung, and Keely Matheson traveled to Esteli, Nicaragua to bring dental care to low-income families in the area. Surrounded by the forested mountains in the North Central Highlands, the country’s third largest city was the site of their international externship, completed in partnership with the non-profit Superemos. Since 1999, the organization has been dedicated to providing Esteli-based education and training programs for deserving families in northern Nicaragua.
Each morning, the students walked 20 minutes from their hostel to the city hospital (Centro de Salud Familiar Leonel Rugama), where a two-room dental clinic provided separate workspaces for general dentistry and oral maxillofacial surgery. Instruments and materials similar to those used in the U.S. were also on hand. “The medical building we worked in was relatively new, well-kept and spacious,” said Matheson. “There were beautiful murals on the walls and overall it was a very nice and calm environment to work in.” Local members of their team consisted of a general dentist, orthodontist, dental student and a university student who aided in translation.
Each day, the group saw 12-20 patients. “About 40 percent of the patients were children and almost all of the adult patients were local workers of the hospital clinic,” said Leung. Patients were triaged, x-rays were taken when necessary, and the dental team switched off to assist each other at the two chairs. Along with providing restorations—several required pulp capping—they performed extractions of non-restorable teeth. With some help, Leung was able to complete her first side-by-side Class II composite restoration.
“The most common cases involved large carious lesions, especially in the young kids which was heartbreaking to see,” said Matheson. This made the students even more determined to teach good oral hygiene practices. “I had one case where I restored a man’s front teeth that had large holes in them from rampant decay, and the difference in the way he smiled before and after the appointment is something I will remember for a long time.”
During the evenings, the students would go to restaurants in Esteli. They spent time outside the hospital with the Nicaraguan dental student and also befriended quite a few locals during their time at the clinic. On the weekend they explored the city and toured the Somoto Canyon.
For all of the students, the externship was a great learning experience both in the amount of dental experience they gained and in the opportunity to experience Nicaraguan culture. For Matheson, the time in Esteli solidified her motivation to continue working internationally and to someday lead a group of students on a similar exchange trip. “I think international externships are something every dental student should experience,” she said. “It really affirms the value of our profession and that even as students we can make a difference.”