The Himalayan Dental Project
There is an urgent need for basic dental health care in the remote region of Ladakh. The history of the ancient Indus Valley settlers reaches back well over a thousand years and they owe their cultural and genetic heritage to Mongolia and Tibet. Thanks to the ironic good fortune of the Indian army, who where posted to the high altitude, strategic location of Ladakh, in order to defend it’s borders with Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir in 1950, this rich Buddhist heritage was saved from the ravages of the Chinese cultural revolution that decimated Tibet. In fact, thousands of Tibetans fled the Chinese army as it invaded their homeland and have settled as virtually permanent refugees in Ladakh.
The army brought many significant advantages besides political security. Roads and airports were built that opened Ladakh up to the rest of the world and introduced many new elements into daily life. One of these changes was the relatively sudden introduction of refined sugar into the Ladakhi diet; almost immediately the former primary dental problem of breakage has been replaced by epidemic tooth decay. Random examinations of the students and staff of the schools and farming communities by visiting dentists have confirmed a staggering 100% impact. The silent suffering of not only the students, but also the general population is unimaginable. This situation must now be addressed as a critical priority in a synchronized short and long term strategy.
The First Step
Commencing in the summer 2007 international school students from Singapore, Norway and New Zealand came to Ladakh with major contributions of dental supplies and oral health care training for the 1,400 students of Lamdon School in Leh. Prior to their arrival in Ladakh, many of the students of United World College and Tanglin Trust in Singapore, Skagerak School in Norway and The Kristin School of New Zealand, received training in proper brushing techniques from public oral health professionals prior to their arrival in Ladakh. They raised funds and secured donations to enable them to bring over 5,000 dental health care packs of excellent quality toothbrushes, toothpaste and dental floss for all of the students and staff of Lamdon School. After providing instruction in proper brushing techniques, they distributed the kits to all 1,400 Ladakhi students. Enough supplies were left in storage after the first distribution, to ensure that the Lamdon students will have free replacements for several years to come.
This program has expanded over the past three years to encompass the entire Ladakhi community. Over 3,000 people have been instructed in proper oral health practices and dietary modification and over 10,000 toothbrush/toothpaste kits have been distributed. More importantly, an abundant supply has been made available, so every person can receive free replacement kits and their financial limitations do not hinder their right to proper oral health care
Breaking the Back of the Dental Decay Demon
Singapore Dental Team Expedition to Ladakh, July 2008
The enormous damage done by epidemic tooth decay required massive intervention and rescue efforts. Fortunately, the international dental community responded with heroic humanitarian efforts. Under the leadership of Dr. Myra Elliot, a team of 15 skilled and dedicated dentists from Singapore, arrived in Ladakh – July 4>12, 2008, with 500kg of sophisticated dental equipment, tools and supplies, as well as a heroic determination to tackle the massive dental problems of the 1,400 students at Lamdon School in a relatively short period of time.
Within a few hours of their arrival, the team had set up a fully functional dental clinic and oral surgery theater. Drawing from their experience from similar dental relief missions to destinations such as Vietnam, Bangladesh and Africa, the 15 members quickly established a time and quality efficient strategy of preliminary examination and delegation of the patients to the relevant treatment stations.
Conditions were often overwhelming with the sheer numbers of students in need of urgent dental care, but the team worked long, hard days, to treat as many patients as possible
Dental Teams from New Zealand
Following up on the efforts by the team from Singapore, Dr. Vivienne Levy of Christchurch, New Zealand has brought teams of dentists for the past two years and has continued to make enormous strides in repairing the damaged teeth of not only the children of local schools, but the general Ladakhi population at large.
2009 Dental/Medical Expedition to Nubra Valley, Ladakh
In July ‘09, Dr. Elliott and her team of dentists and physicians returned to Ladakh.
They traveled over the highest road in the world to the remote Nubra Valley, on the border with Tibet. The Nubra Valley has a vast history dating back to the ancient Silk Route. Its remote and isolated location has helped preserve its cultural traditions and stunning natural beauty. But has also brought hardship to its inhabitants. However, the almost complete absence of even the most basic medical & dental facilities has led to untold suffering among the population. This was the challenge and opportunity of the 2009 dental/medical expedition to the Nubra Valley
They set up a remote dental/medical triage and treatment center at the local school and provided free care for as many students, locals, nomads and Tibetan traders as possible.
Over the course of five very productive days, the team treated over 1,800 patients in a wide range of dental, optical, medical and gynecological conditions.
Teaching to Heal
Another enormously beneficial aspect of the project is the contribution of Dr. Jason Doten. Jason is an American dentist who set up a humanitarian organization called “WisdomTooth” which has as it’s goal the training of local health care workers in fundamental dental skills, so that they can provide full time basic oral health care. Jason has worked with the Lamdon School nurse, Ms Yangchen Dolma, for two years and her new skills have enabled her to treat hundreds of young people annually. International dentists and specialists who can come to Ladakh and contribute to the ongoing education of Yangchen will fulfill the eternal truth, that it is better to teach a person to fish, rather than “merely” give them a fish.
We have now purchased two self-contained portable dental control units and have a fully functional dental clinic on the campus of Lamdon School in Leh. Dr. Myra Elliott is returning to Ladakh in 2010 with another team of dental and medical humanitarians. We’re also very fortunate this year to have other volunteer dentists from New Zealand, Austria, The United States, Spain and India committed to coming to Ladakh to treat, teach and enjoy the mutually beneficial and unforgettable experience of an adventure in healing.
