Pulling teeth all over the world

  • Published
  • By SrA Martin Moleski
  • 445th Airlift Wing
Extracting teeth is never a pain-free procedure; neither for the patient nor the dentist. But for Maj. Joe Alvarez, Assistant OIC of the 445th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, his expertise in dentistry has given him the opportunity to travel the world and help those who need it most.

On a recent trip to Nigeria, Major Alvarez was essential to MEDFLAG '06, one of many joint missions between Air Force Reserve Command and African nations that provide dental and medical assistance to Africans.

The mission of the International Health Specialist program or IHS is to provide a cadre of military medical professionals delivering global support to the Air Force Medical Services (AFMS) and Unified Commands. IHS combines cultural and linguistic proficiency with regional medical expertise, in order to foster partnerships with military, civilian, coalition, and interagency personnel. They also advise Combatant Commanders on the effective use of medical assets in war and peace.

Maj. Melissa Triche, 445th AMDS administrator, also serves as the medical planner for the IHS. Her responsibility is to work with AFRC to staff humanitarian missions and exercises throughout the world. Currently, IHS is planning 16 medical and humanitarian missions for 2007.

The IHS usually sends approximately 12 to 15 providers to go on humanitarian missions, or Med Readys, but in September only Major Alvarez, one optometrist and a physician's assistant went to Nigeria. Major Alvarez, who has been on five international missions, was just one of two medical providers to go to Nigeria to provide medical assistance. He added it was the smallest Med Ready he had ever been a part of.

But that did not keep the major from completing the mission. Over an eight day period, Major Alvarez, with the help of Nigerian medical personnel, extracted 734 teeth from Nigerian citizens. Working about eight hours a day, he pulled an average of 92 teeth per day.

Major Alvarez, who has traveled to Nicaragua, Niger and El Salvador, said his trip to Nigeria was the first in an urban community. In the town of Kaduna, Major Alvarez worked with the Nigerian military, which had dental specialists, and provided free dental care to any Nigerian civilian.

"While it is inexpensive to extract a tooth in Nigeria, costing only about four dollars, that is practically two days worth of pay for Nigerians," said Major Alvarez.
However, it is very hard to get the citizens of Nigeria proper dental supplies because customs make it very difficult to bring toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss into the country, Major Alvarez said.

The 445th AMDS is one of only a few squadrons that have the supplies for dental humanitarian relief. "We do a lot of these missions because we have the capability to do it ourselves," Major Alvarez added. Furthermore, Major Alvarez said he helped write the equipment list that other squadrons will review and ultimately purchase the supplies for providers to use during a Med Ready.

Major Alvarez, who said he goes on one or two Med Readys each year. The major continued by saying he would also like to go to Guatemala and Bulgaria to provide free dental care. Why these two countries? Because Major Alvarez has two adopted children, a daughter from Guatemala and a son from Bulgaria.

The major said he recently learned that he and 32 members from the AMDS will fulfill his wish to go to Guatemala in April 2007, and said he always wanted to go to those countries to, "return the favor."

Major Alvarez, who practices in McArthur, Ohio, said the opportunity to travel to these countries and take care of the patients has been very challenging but very fulfilling.

"This program has allowed me to practice dentistry on four different continents and there aren't a lot of people who can say they've done that," said the major.