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Unlike many teenagers, Mony already knows what she wants to do with her life; she has her sights set on helping her community as a dentist. This week the 18 year old is getting a taste of what working in the field of dentistry would be like, acting as a interpreter for the Semiahmoo Outreach Dental Team — a group of visiting foreign dentists who have set up shop in her village.
“I want to help the people of Cambodia take care of their teeth. I love teeth so much,” she said from inside the dentist’s make-shift work space.”I’m translating for people who don’t know English. Telling them to open and close, asking them does this hurt?”
Mony was glad to get the chance to lend a hand to the team last week, made up of dentists, hygienist and other health care professionals who took over the school in an effort to improve oral care locally.
After taking over a school in Puok, a village west of Siem Reap, Ken Stones and his small army set up their clinic to offer free service to the young and old. Not a stranger to volunteer dentistry in remote areas — this was his 19th trip abroad — Stones was not surprised by what the group encountered.
“The most problem common is definitely decay. We are doing a lot of fillings and some extractions,” he said. “It is definitely a growing issue that we are seeing when we head out for these projects.”
According to the semi-retired dentist, the influx of processed sugary foods into poor areas is the leading cause of dental decay across the globe. The problem is compounded by a lack of awareness of the link between sugar and tooth decay.
“We see little kids, two years old already have rotten stumps. It is not as bad here as in some places, but that is consistent in many countries across the world,” said Stones. “Companies like Coca-Cola make products cheap and accessible.”
While the International College of Dentists helped provide equipment for the humanitarian effort, each of the individuals involved covered their own costs, including their stays at the Journeys Within Boutique Hotel.
With some individuals having previously traveled with Journeys Within, there was an awareness of the company’s philanthropic interests — not to mention the resourceful staff’s ability to locate a diesel powered compressor on short notice — making the hotel a perfect retreat after long, hot days.
Happy to have had the opportunity to have met the Stones and his team of volunteers, Mony seems set on being part of the local shift towards improving oral health.
“I can’t wait to go to school. This is what I want to do,” she said.