GSDM Students Bond During Mexican Mission Trip
Four fourth-year DMD students who didn’t know each other very well boarded a plane together in early March headed to Mexico, and returned a week later as the best of friends. The students: John Keyes, Kimberley Ung, Vera Chernomordik, and Oshin Anjirghooli joined team leader Clinical Assistant Professor Dr. Frank Schiano and GSDM alum Ismael Montane DMD 10, AEGD 11 on this Project Stretch dental mission to Teacapan, Mexico, where they bonded while providing dental care to local children. 
This is the first time that Dr. Schiano has led the trip, although he has been a volunteer several times before. This is also the first time that six people capable of serving as dentists were sent at the same time and this enabled the group to treat more children than ever before. Dr. Schiano estimates that they treated 350 patients, placed 1,079 sealants, and performed 40 extractions and approximately 200 operative procedures. They also applied fluoride varnish to all patients’ teeth. One day they placed 270 sealants—a Project Stretch record.
The team had access to the Project Stretch equipment, which included two chairs. With so many capable people on the trip and only two dental chairs, the students worked in pairs and took turns. Ung and Chernomordik often practiced four-handed dentistry and Keyes and Anjirghooli—who are left-handed and right-handed respectively—switched off between dentist and assistant roles based on which side of the mouth a patient needed treatment on. Drs. Schiano and Montane also treated patients, but worked more in teaching and supervisory roles, which the students say enabled them to learn a great deal on the trip.
The students had all worked with Dr. Schiano at the Dental School prior to the trip, but say they were able to learn new skills from him in the field. “I enjoyed working closely with Dr. Schiano. He works quickly, yet still took the time to demonstrate techniques to us. I really learned a lot from him,” explained Chernomordik.
In turn Dr. Schiano was also very impressed by the students and their commitment to this mission. Before the trip even began the students attended Yankee Dental Congress in January, met vendors, and gathered donations. They also brought toys and gifts for the children.
Dr. Schiano added, “It was really special for me to see how rewarding this trip was for the students. It made me remember my first Project Stretch trip and why I keep coming back.”
The students all agreed the trip exceeded expectations. Everyone hopes to return to Teacapan in the future.
“We don’t see patients like this at School, so this was a great new experience for me. The experience I gained on this trip gave me the confidence to be able to treat any basic pediatric case,” said Keyes.
Added Anjirghooli—who was initially apprehensive about treating children, “We treated a range of children all the way from happy to crying. We also developed our critical thinking skills, when faced with the decision of which teeth to restore in each patient. Without a radiograph I can now easily identify baby versus permanent teeth. I would say overall my confidence level went from 0 to 95 in all dentistry, especially pediatric dentistry.”
Chernomordik said, “This trip gave me an appreciation for pediatric dentistry. And now that I am back at School, I notice how much quicker and more confident I am in all aspects of treatment which is great for both me and my patients.”