Dentistry

Today we visited the Kantipur Dental Hospital.  I was there last year with two children but now they have a new impressive building and new equipment and I was very impressed.  We had a tour of the building and facilities, it is not finished yet but the dental treatment rooms were finished and in use.  They could treat up to 15 patients at one time if they had the staff.  They also train dental hygenists in a three year program and dental chairside assistants in a 3 month course.  This program is for girls who did not pass their SLC but who have at least class 8 or who passed the SLC pre exam.  I found this interesting.  They run dental camps for poor, underpriviledged children, children in orpan homes and street children.  As we still have many children to treat in Simpani they agreed to come on Monday and operate a dental for us as we still have many that need to have treatment here.  They have a dental van in which they can do check ups, fillings and extractions if they have to but they also can pick the children up by bus and bring them to the hospital.  I was very impressed with their facility and their professionlism. They told me and I agree that these children need yearly check ups otherwise what is the point of having them treated if they never see a dentist again.  Hopefully we can make this a yearly program and keep the children's teeth in good condition.