Many of you may have met Adela either through this blog or if you've come down to serve with us. But if you haven't, she is the youngest (4 yrs.) of Oti's six daughters. Most people who have had the chance to meet Adela in person quickly learn that she loves to give hugs and to be held. Bottom line....she's adorable and fun-loving.
If you've seen pictures of her, you've probably seen some black and rotted teeth in front of her smile. There were also a couple more rotted molars. Some of the challenges faced when working with impoverished families where survival is the highest priority, are bad habits like not brushing teeth (what's flossing?) and eating too many sugary foods. This is true with Adela, in addition to the fact that until just recently, she was still going to bed with a bottle. So we began looking into dental options for Adela and the rest of her siblings. God arranged for a divine appointment and we met a dentist who coordinates other dentists and specialists to do this kind of work - helping the poor. Long story short, he introduced us to Dr. Genoveva Quinones who is a pediatric dentist....and what a gift she has with kids. We then scheduled four visits for Adela to get all her work done. First visit fill several cavities. Second visit fill more cavities and do some other work. Third visit get an impression of her mouth to make her dentures. Fourth visit pull six rotten teeth, including the four in the front and put in the dentures for the front teeth. Fifth visit check the dentures.
So, although Adela's toothless smile was adorable, she was sometimes ashamed of it, and her teeth were rotting. Now she has temporary teeth (until her adult ones grow in) and an even more beautiful smile. These dentures, if cared for, will help protect the holes where the previous teeth were, and allow the new ones to grow in properly.
Please pray with us that Oti and Adela will be responsible to clean the dentures regularly, and will also begin to reduce the amount of sugary foods that all the kids eat. We are regularly trying to educate Oti about healthy eating and hygiene habits, but it's hard. Changing old habits for anyone, including Oti is an uphill battle.
(Special thanks to a generous donor who is making dental care possible for Oti's kids.)
