Integrating Dental Services in Our Community
Limon 1, Nicaragua: At the Roberto Clemente clinic in Tola, Nicaragua, it is our mission to improve the health of the 27 surrounding communities. In order to optimize the well-being of those within the Tola region of Nicaragua, the clinic has added a dentist to their team. In Nicaragua, seeing a dentist can be a costly experience and many Nicaraguans are not able to properly care for their teeth due to lack of dental education and resources. Thanks to the efforts of the Roberto Clemente Clinic, seeing a dentist is now possible.
Since July of 2013, Dr. Barillas, a licensed dental surgeon from the University of Managua, has been providing his services to the clinic. It is Dr. Barillas’ goal to assist patients who are in poor dental health as well as resolve patient maladies; all while helping to prevent further tooth decay and other oral illnesses. Recently, Dr. Barillas took some time to tell us about some of the varied cases he works with and many of his patients experience similar dental issues. His youngest patient, a 4 years old boy, showed the presence of multiple cavities. Dr. Barillas worked with this patient to not only fill the cavities, but to show proper dental care techniques such as brushing and fluoride treatments to stop further tooth decay and cavities. Another middle-age patient presented advanced tooth decay and deformities. Dr. Barillas had to repair many of the patient’s teeth and thanks to his work, there was an 80% improvement in her dental health.
The Roberto Clemente Health Clinic provides healthcare to over 12,000 underprivileged Nicaraguans per year. The clinic provides general and emergency care and is always looking for ways to expand its services to better help others. Providing dental services to patients is just one of the many ways the clinic is working to protect and improve the health of thousands of Nicaraguans. The clinic also provides volunteer opportunities for health professionals and students of all education levels and skills. Volunteering at The Roberto Clemente Health Clinic is a great way to provide much needed healthcare to others while gaining hands-on experience in the field.