Last month, our team in Nicaragua conducted outreaches in the community of La Pita in the Coyolar region, serving over 150 individuals in need of dental care.
This community lies in the municipal seat of La Dalia, Matagalpa, which has a population of 1,100. Recently, our partners, Accion Medica Cristiana (AMC), implemented a project in the area to promote health and wellness in children and families. This outreach was the first time any kind of dental care has taken place in this community.
Four dentists and a group of support staff participated in this outreach, providing dental care and education to the local community. 81 children and 69 adults were identified by community leaders to received these free dental services. Procedures performed include cleanings, fillings, extractions, fissure sealants, and screening of patients who may be seen in the future.
Preventive dental education was also provided after each patient’s dental care. The team guided each child on proper brushing techniques and the importance of caring for their teeth.
Many patients were grateful for the services that they received, noting that they would not have been able to receive this care otherwise, due to their financial situations.
Testimony 1
“My name is Ayda Azucena Larios, I am 28 years old. I am a Christian and the mother of 3 children. I am originally from the community La Pita.
My two children are 6 and 11 years of age. My husband and I attended the dental outreach which was carried out in the school. My husband and I had cleanings and our children has their molars fixed.
The visit was good, and it is a help because many times we as women, for lack of money, cannot fix our teeth and this is a blessing. I had not had any work done before, many times out of fear and also because we are poor.
The care provided by the doctors and all the staff was very good and they were very kind. The doctor who treated me showed me a lot of respect and care, and they did a good job for us and that is very important. We are very grateful because this consultation was free for us and it is the first time the outreach has arrived in our community.”
Ayda said she wishes many blessings to AMC and Smiles for Everyone Foundation from her family and community.
Testimony 2
“My name is Doribel López, I am 25 years old and I am from the community of La Pita.
My husband, my 7 year old son and I were patients during the dental outreach that took place at the school.
The work they did for us was very good, the fillings and the extractions, since we did not have any complications.
The outreach was good because this is a help and this is very important because sometimes you do not have enough money to go to the dentist. A filling is too expensive for us. If an extraction costs C$200 córdobas ($6 or 3 day’s wages for a farm laborer), I imagine that a filling must be much more expensive and in addition we need to pay for transportation and food.
The doctors treated us very well, and treated us with kindness. The community is happy, it is a blessing from God that we were well taken care of.
We appreciate the attention they gave us in the community, because we need it. We do not have enough resources to pay for a dental visit and thank you because this is the first time the dental care has come here to the community.
I helped to assist one of the doctors (Dr. Anielka) and being part of the support for them I felt happy because I could learn things that are important. I learned a lot for the first time by supporting a day of dental care like this.
Thank you very much Accion Medica Cristiana and Smiles for Everyone Foundation for the support to us and the entire community.”
Thanks to our Nicaragua team for delivering so many Smiles in 2018! We look forward to hearing more testimonies next year.
