PREGNANT WOMAN RELIEVED OF CHRONIC TOOTHACHE
BAGABAG ISLAND, Papua New Guinea — When Muklong Blau learned that dental workers had arrived in her village, it sparked hope that she might rid herself of pain she likely has lived with for years. At five months pregnant, Blau would have had enough to be concerned about without having a bad molar. But she had a wisdom tooth that was growing horizontally — stabbing her in the cheek and causing her gums to become infected. When she approached the dental workers — who were part of a YWAM team that sailed to Bagabag aboard the m/v PACIFIC LINK — she meekly asked, “Can you help me?”
Cases such as Blau’s are all too common in Papau New Guinea — especially in rural communities where more than 80 percent of the population resides. There are few more than 100 dentists — most of whom live in cities — in this nation of 7.5 million people. Mary Grable, who was part of the dental team in Bagabag, said illnesses can multiply to the point of becoming fatal when maladjusted wisdom teeth are not removed promptly.
“I’ve seen people die from oral infections; their throat closes up, the infection could go up into their eye, it can go into their brain. Once it’s in the bloodstream, it can go anywhere in the body that’s vulnerable,” said Grable, a dental hygienist from California.
Even when dental maladies are not deadly for people here, they can be the source of unceasing pain. In Western nations, teenagers customarily have their wisdom teeth removed to alleviate overcrowding in the mouth. In contrast, it is rare to meet a Papua New Guinean who has had those teeth removed.
When faced with problems such as infected teeth or swollen gums, villagers often resort to homespun remedies for relief. One such treatment is to boil the skin of a coconut and apply it as a hot compress to the site of the infection to numb the pain. This brings temporary relief.
As wisdom teeth grow in improperly, even eating can be a risky activity.
“When food gets trapped back by the wisdom tooth, it can become infected very easily,” Grable said.
Conditions such as Blau’s can also be magnified during pregnancy.”
“Sometimes, during a pregnancy, it’s common to have what they call ‘pregnancy gingivitis’ just because your hormone system is completely changed,” Grable said. “Things tend to get more inflamed and the mouth tends to bleed more.”
After potentially having lived with her condition for as long as 10 years, Blau’s pain was relieved after 10 minutes by the dental volunteers.
“We were able to extract that tooth and give her antibiotics,” Grable said. “You just could see she was so happy.”
PHOTO BY Risa Bee
BAGABAG ISLAND, Papua New Guinea — When Muklong Blau learned that dental workers had arrived in her village, it sparked hope that she might rid herself of pain she likely has lived with for years. At five months pregnant, Blau would have had enough to be concerned about without having a bad molar. But she had a wisdom tooth that was growing horizontally — stabbing her in the cheek and causing her gums to become infected. When she approached the dental workers — who were part of a YWAM team that sailed to Bagabag aboard the m/v PACIFIC LINK — she meekly asked, “Can you help me?”
Cases such as Blau’s are all too common in Papau New Guinea — especially in rural communities where more than 80 percent of the population resides. There are few more than 100 dentists — most of whom live in cities — in this nation of 7.5 million people. Mary Grable, who was part of the dental team in Bagabag, said illnesses can multiply to the point of becoming fatal when maladjusted wisdom teeth are not removed promptly.
“I’ve seen people die from oral infections; their throat closes up, the infection could go up into their eye, it can go into their brain. Once it’s in the bloodstream, it can go anywhere in the body that’s vulnerable,” said Grable, a dental hygienist from California.
Even when dental maladies are not deadly for people here, they can be the source of unceasing pain. In Western nations, teenagers customarily have their wisdom teeth removed to alleviate overcrowding in the mouth. In contrast, it is rare to meet a Papua New Guinean who has had those teeth removed.
When faced with problems such as infected teeth or swollen gums, villagers often resort to homespun remedies for relief. One such treatment is to boil the skin of a coconut and apply it as a hot compress to the site of the infection to numb the pain. This brings temporary relief.
As wisdom teeth grow in improperly, even eating can be a risky activity.
“When food gets trapped back by the wisdom tooth, it can become infected very easily,” Grable said.
Conditions such as Blau’s can also be magnified during pregnancy.”
“Sometimes, during a pregnancy, it’s common to have what they call ‘pregnancy gingivitis’ just because your hormone system is completely changed,” Grable said. “Things tend to get more inflamed and the mouth tends to bleed more.”
After potentially having lived with her condition for as long as 10 years, Blau’s pain was relieved after 10 minutes by the dental volunteers.
“We were able to extract that tooth and give her antibiotics,” Grable said. “You just could see she was so happy.”
PHOTO BY Risa Bee
