Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Angola Dental Health Challenges

(Post from visiting doctor to CEML, Dr. Nicholas Comninellis)

What's the importance of dental care? This child arrived at Lubango Evangelica Medical Center, in Angola of southern Africa, with an abscess draining from under his chin, and with infection racing down his neck and into the chest. The source of his infection? A tooth abscess. The risks of his infection? Loss of his jaw and even death. Fortunately his case my esteemed colleague, Steve Foster, drained the infection and today on examination this sad face is only for show. He's well on the way to recovery. But Angola - like all low-resource nations - has few dentists and concepts of oral hygiene are poorly grasp. Who among you would like to take on this challenge?   

(See Dr. Comninellis' site at www.inmed.us)