Dental Aid in Nepal Sept 2024

Photo: Dr. Deborah Clement

“Real happiness in life starts when you begin to cherish others.”  - Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Together with her friend and dental colleague Dr. Melissa Dirsch, Dr. Deborah Clement travelled halfway around the world to participate in a special dental project. Yeti dental aid project which was founded in 2012 by Australian dentist Dr. George Manos and his wife to help disadvantaged people in Nepal. They were inspired by one of their teachers, Dr Adrian Feldman who founded a medical clinic in the Kopan Monastery in Kathmandu. They are supported by dentists from all over the world, who now travel twice a year to help not only at the dental clinic in Kopan, but also at another clinic in the Himalayas, where students from the Mount Everest School come as patients.

Together with dentists from Australia, the Czech Republic and Great Britain, Dr. Clement and Dr. Dirsch travelled to Kathmandu in September 2024:

The Kopan Monastery is located on the outskirts of Kathmandu, on a hill offering stunning views of the hustle and bustle of the city. The clinic and the local school, are located within Kopan Monastery which are attended by the young monks. Most of these children come from poor rural areas.

The volunteers stay in the monastery grounds and have the option to participate in their daily life of the monks. The meals and the accommodation are provided by the monastery in appreciation of our dental services.

               Our workspace in the dental clinic included two permanently installed treatment units, two mobile units, digital x-ray machines, autoclaves, VDW endodontic motors, and numerous high-quality consumables collected over the years through donations. After a brief period of familiarization with our new workspace, treatment began. During the two-week project period, a total of 374 patients were examined, 216 fillings were placed, 36 teeth were extracted, and 137 dental cleanings were performed. Our patients had a high prevalence of occlusal fissure caries. The young monks had not previously received prophylactic fissure sealants and their diet was largely comprised of short-chain carbohydrates, which promote caries.

Particularly commendable is the project's sustainable approach, which aims to restore oral health to a stable level. To this end, regular recalls have been introduced and on-site staff have been trained to carry out preventative measures and cleaning.

The project not only sustainably improves the oral health of disadvantaged people, but has also transformed our perspective on the world. Previously, we only had a superficial knowledge of Buddhism. Now, its philosophy is not only a part of our personal lives, but also enriches our professional lives. Through our intensive contact with people, we bear great responsibility for their well-being. This thought is often lost in the stress and bureaucracy of everyday life. Recognizing that every living being in the world desires the same thing—to be happy—is an important insight for being able to treat our fellow human beings and fellow creatures with more compassion.

"...We are visitors on this planet. We are here for ninety or one hundred years at the very most. During that period, we must try to do something good, something useful with our lives. If you contribute to other people's happiness you will find the true goal, the true meaning of life." – Dalai Lama XIV

More information about the project: www.projectyeti.org .

Author: Dr. Deborah Clement