Sonrisas Sanas? ¡Si!
Clinic Treats Children with Spanish-Speaking Parents
At age 6, Heriberto Dominguez sits in a dental chair for the first time in his life.
The appointment—including an oral exam and cleaning, with mother Lisa sitting by his side—seems pretty typical. But when Dr. Kale Gray, an MCG pediatric dental resident, turns and speaks to Heriberto’s mother in Spanish, it’s clear that this appointment is a little different.
Heriberto is a patient in the Sonrisas Sanas (Healthy Smiles) Clinic in the MCG School of Dentistry. The clinic treats pediatric patients with Spanish-speaking parents— children who otherwise may never see a dentist.
Funded by a $90,000, three-year grant from the First Hand Foundation, the clinic is staffed with a Spanishspeaking hygienist and dentists. Patients can make appointments in their native language.
“There is an increasing number of Hispanic people in our area,” says Dr. Steven Adair, chair of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry. “These are people that might not otherwise seek dental care because of the perceived language barrier.”
Other cultural barriers, like fear of drinking tap water, can contribute to dental problems for Hispanic children.
“In some of the countries these people are from, it’s not safe to drink the water,” says Ana Thompson, an assistant professor of dental hygiene and member of the Sonrisas Sanas group. “But public water here has fluoride in it, which is good for teeth. Often, children end up drinking sugary sodas instead, and that can lead to tooth decay.”
Several faculty with Spanish backgrounds, including Ms. Thompson, Dr. Amara Abreu in the Department of Oral Rehabilitation and Dr. Gray, who has an undergraduate degree in Spanish, have been working to get the word out to potential patients.
“I’ve sent fliers to schools, churches and flea markets,” Ms. Thompson says. “I’ve also worked with the Hispanic papers to advertise the clinic.” The group has also designed patient materials and educational brochures in Spanish for patients’ parents.
And the patients aren’t the only beneficiaries, Dr. Adair says. “Our junior students already take a basic Spanish course, and we’re hoping they can build on what they learn by treating Hispanic children in the clinic. We also plan to provide basic-level Spanish training to pediatric dentistry residents and clinic staff. It’s important that they are exposed to patients from different backgrounds.”
The group also hopes to train staff in the dental school’s business office on communicating with Spanishspeaking patients.
“Dean Connie Drisko and I really realized a huge need for this clinic here in Augusta,” Dr. Adair says. “The dental school was a natural place to host it because the clinic not only helps the patients and increases access to care, but also exposes our students to a population they’re likely to serve in practice.”
--Jennifer Hilliard