NAU Dental Hygiene in Peru
This summer, a group of dental hygiene students traveled to Arequipa, Peru for a unique externship experience where they provided essential dental care in local communities. Read on to learn more about Regan and her experience abroad.
What was it like providing dental hygiene services abroad? How did it differ from what you’ve experienced at NAU?
It was similar and different in many ways. Something similar is that in both clinics, you’re treating the patient and maintaining or restoring oral health while educating them on caring for their teeth at home. It was different in terms of supplies available and documentation. We didn’t have any of our usual operatories that have suction or adjustable chairs, so it was great exposure to see what it is like to provide dental hygiene services in different environments that might not be set up the same as we are used to.
What did your day-to-day life look like during the program?
We did one week of clinic and one week of tourism. During the clinic week, we had Spanish classes in the morning with a little excursion for lunch, and then clinic in the evenings. We saw lots of children from varying circumstances, and we were able to treat a group of elderly and special needs adults as well. There were many things we hadn’t seen before, and we gained lots of valuable knowledge about cleft palate and treating children. During the week of tourism, we went to Cusco and Machu Picchu, which were breathtaking. We stayed in the city, Arequipa, and we were able to do lots of cool tourism there as well; I went white water rafting there!
How did you prepare to provide services in a different language?
We learned some basic words in Spanish before we went, but having a Spanish teacher there to teach us specific dental phrases was very useful to provide some services without assistance from a translator. However, most of us weren’t too confident with our Spanish, so having a translator present helped us with phrases we didn’t learn or to communicate more complex situations to parents.
What did you learn about healthcare access and oral health needs in Peru?
We worked at a clinic that operated on a sliding fee scale to make healthcare accessible to the children of Peru. Families from all over Peru, especially rural areas, travelled far and wide to get to the clinic. I learned that certain areas are considered ‘healthcare deserts’, where many families struggle to get access to healthcare.
Did you face any unexpected challenges throughout the program? How were you able to adapt to these challenges?
An unexpected challenge I faced was struggling with ergonomics in the clinic setup. The patient chairs weren’t adjustable, and there weren’t clinician chairs, so we had to hold difficult positions for long periods of time, and I started having back and shoulder pain on day one. To adapt, we had to be mindful of how we positioned our patients to preserve ergonomics and stretch during our downtime.
What personal/professional skills did you gain from this experience?
I learned so much about treating pediatric patients and the role of dental hygiene in public health. This experience helped me realize how passionate I am about helping people with their oral health, and I can’t wait for the next opportunity!