How do you give dental care to patients who have poor oral health but think their teeth are fine? That’s the challenge Dr. Bonnie Bateman and her team overcame on their recent dental mission trip to Cambodia.
For over a decade, Dr. Bonnie Bateman and her team have gone on an annual dental mission trip to Cambodia. Their goal is to provide free dental care to Cambodians who lack access to quality dentistry and technology. This year, with the help of SOTA Imaging, they were able to help over 400 patients.
The area they visited, Toul Prich, is home to many Cambodians who have poor dental hygiene and suffer from cavities and abscesses.
“Frequently, before they receive care, they’ll protest and say that they’re fine. But once you show them the x-ray, they see what treatment they need,” said Jenny Bunlot, Registered Dental Assistant at Los Altos Dental. “The Clio Digital X-ray Sensors we had with us were invaluable. It helped many people.”
Caring for Cambodian Children and Adults
On the mission trip, Dr. Bateman and her team helped both children and adults. “Children eat many sweets,” said Bunlot. “Their breakfasts will consist of condensed milk and bread, which has high sugar content.” Also, she says, “For adults, it’s more common to use chewing tobacco, which can have major oral health consequences.”
Patients are diagnosed, treated, and/or referred by Dr. Bateman and her team. “Often, Dr. Bateman will pay for them out of her pocket,” said Bunlot. “They can’t afford the treatment, so when she refers them, she’ll make sure they have care, even if she needs to pay.”
Using Clio Digital X-ray Sensors enabled the team to successfully provide care on the mission trip. “There was no way we could have done the work we did without the Clio. Having that x-ray sensor there was able to help so many people,” said Bunlot. “They all had huge smiles!”
