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Dental practitioners step ahead to provide free dental and medical help to Haitians suffering from devastative earthquake

Kanyon Keeney, D.D.S., who has been a part of medical mission preparations to go to Haiti earlier too, is again taking the initiative to be a part of it, but the first time during the hard time after devastative earthquake, which has hit whole of the country with people homeless and injured.

He is one of the many dental professionals who are moving to Haiti soon to help people recover, by treating the facial lacerations, oral infections and provide them restorative dental care that lasts for longer period. The country is in crisis, due to no availability of any resources, water and electricity, so not just treating, but the staying and setting up a base medical camp would be a challenge to Dr. Keeney and other health service providers.

Time being a critical part in everything, Dr. Keeney, Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon in Glen Allen, said that they were planning a trip to Haiti Feb 1st, but after this incident they are hoping to reach there within next week if the resources and transport are all well set. Time is less, because when the wounds are fresh, treating them would be easier, but Dr. Keeney believes that by the time they reach there, the team might have to deal with many infections, and these can become rampant and severe if time goes on. The main aim is to treat the dental infections from untreated broken jaws and lacerations, rather than pulling out the teeth, as the lacerations raise the risk of infections and their spread.

The situation there has worsened with no proper roads, no harbor to land, and the collapsed building, including the clinic where Dr. Keeney and his team used to work every year. The food and water that the people there are getting is through underwater cranes, and by airways. Christian Services International, an organizations is sponsoring the camp and treatment, lead by Dr. Keeney. He does more of facial injury treatments, which have led to any infections.

Aids from Dental companies

To support to the cause, Aquafree waterless toothbrush and Tampa Bay have partnered to send 100,000 toothbrushes and other supplies to Haiti. Henry Schein and its partners have marked $1 million in medical supplies to NGOs that are providing relief in Haiti already. Within a few hours of earthquake, pallets of supplies were prepared to partner the NGOs through Henry Schein Cares Foundation.

Baudin Haiti Dental Mission, founded by David Schubert, D.D.S., also plans to reach Haiti by next week if there is any place to land their plane. He plans to do more of simpler dental and medical treatments. Dr. Ihor Suszko, D.D.S., from Vermillion, OH have build a group that should reach there by February. They plan to provide services that follow guidelines set out by WHO for oral health care to third world countries.

With scarcity of water, and no electricity, these dental and medical missions are a challenge, but many organizations are coming forward to help for the cause, and re-establish the healthy condition in Haiti.

Source: DrBicuspid.com

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