Navigating Dental Problems During Service

Navigating Dental Problems During Service

on left, gloved hand pointing to dental x-rays; on right, text Navigating Dental Problems From Service

Too many Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) develop dental problems during service. Some of us didn’t adjust enough for the conditions and expectations of service. Some PCVs let good oral care habits slide. Following the normal dental care routing from the USA may not be enough in your host country. And, don’t expect easy direct access to a Peace Corps dentist and frequent dental visits. That won’t happen.

Brush, Floss, and Rinse Regularly

toothbrushes in a glass jar and on the table with a leafy twig

Are you brushing twice a day for two minutes each time? Are you flossing and rinsing daily? That is the minimum standard that the American Dental Association recommends for people living in the USA. But that standard is based on daily access to fluoridated water and Fluoride in oral hygiene products. If those are not available in your host country, then you need to adjust your dental cleaning habits accordingly.

Do you need to brush, floss, and rinse more often? How can you get access to more Fluoride? Ask the Peace Corps Medical Officer (PCMO).

Stop Using Your Teeth as a Bottle Opener

Many PCVs use their teeth for more than just eating. It is easier to break off something with your teeth than to find that bottle opener or use a knife that is usually too dull. Stop it!

Sharpen that knife. Put that bottle opener on a hook so you know where to find it. Keep that swiss army knife in your pocket. Use tools other than your teeth. Immediately getting that beer bottle opened is not as important as protecting your teeth in the long run.

Eating and Drinking with Your Teeth in Mind

Limit sugary beverages and snacks. Avoid chomping on hard candies, ice, or other hard items. Look out for foods and drinks that attack the enamel especially when they work their way into the grooves and crevices of your teeth and gums.

red apples and green pears

Teeth are porous. That means they absorb whatever is swirling around in your mouth. This is why teeth stains when you consume red wine, cigarette smoke, coffee, tobacco, etc.

Eat apples, pears, and other healthy foods with a little soft crunch. Chomping on these gently cleans your teeth’s surface while massaging your gums. Floss afterwards to clear out any trapped food particles left behind. And swish some water to rinse away the acid off your teeth. Or go all out to brush, floss, and rinse each time you eat anything!

Track All Oral and Dental Problems

Monitor your teeth on a regular basis. Don’t forget to also regularly inspect your cheeks, gums, all sides of your tongue, back of throat, roof and floor of the mouth. Also pretend you are from Wakanda and check the inside of your lips (Black Panther reference).

Track it all. Some of these symptoms could be minor and can wait until you can travel to a dentist. But some symptoms require immediate emergency care. Report all issues immediately to the dentist. Let them figure it out. Make sure it is documented in your Peace Corps medical record.

  • Did you chip, crack, or knock out a tooth?
  • Is that a cavity?
  • Can you detect any gingivitis?
  • Does something feel loose or unfamiliar?
  • Feeling any pain in a tooth, gum, or jawbone?
  • Are your gums tender or changing colors?
  • Is there any bleeding in the mouth or gums?
  • Do you have sensitivity to cold foods or liquids?
  • Is there swelling in or around the mouth?
  • Are your teeth getting yellow, grey, or dingy?
  • Are you grinding your teeth?
  • Is your mouth abnormally dry?
  • Detect any Halitosis?
  • Feel or see anything out of the ordinary?

Visit the Dentist to Head Off Dental Problems

Find a way to visit a dentist at least once every 6 months. If your host country does not have fluoridated water or fluoridated oral hygiene products, then visit the dentist even more often. Some dental issues can be stopped or even reversed if treated in time. But some dental problems are permanent. You cannot regrow enamel or regenerate teeth once it is gone or damaged.

Currently, the Peace Corps only offer one dental visit during your two years of service. You get one cleaning and evaluation at the end of your first year of service. That is at least 15 months to the first cleaning and evaluation from Peace Corps. That is far below the dental recommendation of twice a year recommended by the American Dental Association.

Get a dental cleaning just before you leave the USA for service. Just make sure the dentist doesn’t find anything that need to get corrected! Any last minute medical or dental problems could be a delay of starting service.

If you go back to the USA or have access to a dentist during service, schedule a cleaning and evaluation. Your second official dental visit with Peace Corps is at the end of (2-year) service as a part of your Close of Service (COS) process. But that could be much too late to catch and reverse some dental problems or decay?

Get a Full Dental Exam immediately after COS

white woman with scrunched face and finger pulling out cheek against clenched teeth

Get an independent dental evaluation as soon as you COS. Make sure you get the full exam, including x-rays and oral cancer exam. Document the results as a part of your Peace Corps medical record.

If you need any dental work or dental surgery, report that immediately to the Peace Corps. You only have a small window to report any medical or dental concerns after COS.

Once you miss that designated window to identify problems from service, then it could become a huge challenge to get Peace Corps to cover that care.

Will Peace Corps Improve PCV Dental Care?

RPCV Health Crusade reviewed a number of country reports. Dental problems are consistently listed as one of the top five medical concerns listed.

Are PCVs ignoring proper oral hygiene needs in practically every host country? Do PCVs know to adjust their oral hygiene routine to compensate for the lack of Fluoride in-country? Can the Peace Corps increase and improve the level of dental care available to PCVs?

Will Peace Corps offer a full dental cleaning and evaluation once every 5-6 months? The clock starts when the trainee lands in-country. Can Peace Corps offer an online dental inspection with a qualified dentist in between the PCV’s in-person dental visits? This visual inspection could ward off some problems while they can still be treated or reversed.

What needs to change so that dental issues stop being one of the top listed medical issues from Peace Corps service? Let us know if you have dental stories to share or some great tips for navigating dental problems during service.

Share your dental tips and stories!

 

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