a trip to the dentist

When I told three of the Kuyasa Kids that a trip to the dentist was "no trip to Disneyland", I had no idea that I would be proven wrong.

These three children were selected to travel with me to my parents house in Canton, OH because they each had specific dental needs that required attention. Puti, shown in the picture on the right, had crack one of his mollers in half. Nopro, was experiencing pain on one side of her mouth. And my sponsor child Kholisa had two holes of decay that had started to rot away the teeth to either side of the two that were front and center.

My mother had contacted close family friends Dr. Henry and Dr. Brent Van Hala, and they graciously agreed to see these three children and address their needs. The children were nervous! In Kayamandi, South Africa dental care is too expensive for people that are living in the township. So the alternative when one has a toothache is to go to the free clinic, and with no pain killer of any kind, have the tooth yanked out of your mouth.

The children received a rather different welcome when they entered the door of the Van Hala practice. Every detail was addressed and no expense was spared. Full dental x-rays were taken of each child, if there was any indication of pain more Novocaine was administered, and the children were treated like they were the most important patient in the office.

Puti cracked tooth was given a crown - a process that can take several visits and cost $800. Nopro's hurting tooth was experiencing decay from a major cavity, so the cavity was removed and the tooth rebuilt. My little Kholisa was a real champ - she was in the chair for close to two hours while Dr. Brent removed the decay from her front teeth. They then cosmetically filled the holes making her smile beautiful as new. I sat there holding her hand and providing encouraging words. Dr. Brent then shared with me that if Kholisa had not come into the dentist that day, that within a year she would have lost all four of her front teeth. I began to cry. Crying over the blessing that we had been given. Crying that we had noticed the holes in her beautiful smile. Crying that I got to be a part of connecting these kids that I love with talented Christians that were willing to sacrifice so much.

And it didn't stop there! A few key appointments canceled that day, and we were able to get more kids in for exams and cleanings. Going to the dentist had now become the cool thing to do and 6 more Kuyasa Kids came to the dentist. Every one of them had at least one cavity, and several had four! The Novocaine just kept coming! :)

Never have I so enjoyed a trip to the dentist.