Airmen provide dental care in Honduras

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Bryan Franks
  • Joint Task Force-Bravo Public Affairs
OLANCHO, Honduras (AFNS) --  Members of the Joint Medical Readiness Training Exercise provided medical services to more than 730 La Bacadia community members here recently, including more than 85 patients seen by the dental team.

The Joint MEDRETE's dental members were responsible for dental assessment and tooth extraction during the event.

"Extracting decayed teeth is an efficient way of providing relief to our patients," said Lt. Col. Ray Williams, the medical element's dentist. "It allows us to get rid of the source of the infection as well as the pain."

For many rural areas of Honduras, dental visits are few and far between, and, as a result, tooth decay is a constant issue within these communities.

"I love the smiles from patients' faces after I'm done," said Staff Sgt. Marchawn Walker, the medical element's dental technician. "I love working with the children -- they bring a smile to my face."

For Walker, this was her second MEDRETE, the first being in Thailand.

"I was mentally prepared for this MEDRETE," Walker said. "I didn't know what to expect the first time in Thailand, but it definitely helped me be a better dental technician for this one now."

While the dental team is typically the last ones to finish each day of the MEDRETE, the members said they wish they could do even more.

"As with being deployed anywhere, you always face the challenges of limited supplies and time, but we are proud of the work we do," Williams said.

"They may have one less tooth, but they don't hurt anymore," Walker continued.

In fiscal 2011, Joint Task Force-Bravo and the Honduran Ministry of Health clinicians provided general medical care to 14,401 patients and dental care to 1,061 patients for a total of 15,462 Hondurans receiving much-needed assistance.