Poor Sweet Delfia,
I lost it today. Seldom if ever have I been so distraught doing dentistry that I had to turn away to wipe away my tears.
Delfia is a beautiful petite 8 year old Ngobe Indigenous Indian girl from a semi-wilderness area we call the comarca (reservation). Sweet smile and sweet spirit. Then she opened her mouth. Almost every tooth in her mouth was rotten to the gums. All 4 of her permanent molars were cesspools of rotting decay. She had never been to a dentist and was scared to death. She was my little valiant princess who tried so hard to be brave and open wide while big crocodile tears fell from her eyes like huge drops of water slipping off a water lily. All her teeth were covered with hard calculus even on the chewing surfaces!! Neither Pam, my hygienist nor I have ever seen such a sight on a small child. Slowly I removed layer after layer of decay all the way to the pulp chamber with nerves exposed. I couldn’t stand the thought of pulling all her permanent molars so I desperately did all I could to restore her teeth in the few days I had to see her. I’ll have to leave many of the baby teeth untreated. After finishing the lower teeth I asked her if she could be strong and let me do her upper teeth. She smiled and nodded. I cried. I’ll she her again for the other side. No child should have to endure such pain and misery. I am overwhelmed.
I’ll send pictures of sweet Delfia in a few days when I see her again. Friday she goes back to her life in the comarca and I’ll see her sweet face and horrible teeth in my dreams.
Little Delfia was wearing the headband we gave her at the first appointment because she was so good. Click on the link below.
Thanks
