We are at the mid-point in our time in Kenya, 18 days in with 18 to go. We have settled into a nice routine. Clinic starts around 9am continues till around 1 or 2pm, then finishes up about 4pm. We are averaging 15-20 patients per day.
Almost all patients request extractions. Single tooth/chief complaint. They may have several broken or decayed teeth, some even next to each other, but they will point to one and only want that one removed. Also, as we may have mentioned in the past, many of the Maasai both male and female have their lower central incisors removed at an early age. It is what their ‘tribe’ does.
Another cultural challenge is if their upper canines, or ‘eye-teeth’ are not coming in fully, and stuck under the lip. They want those removed as well. We have done several of these. A gal came in today, (we have stopped asking them how old they are, few know) who we think was a teenager, but may be in her twenties, wanted her canines removed. No orthodontics in the bush.
Around 4pm each day, the baboon family shows up at the garbage dump behind the clinic. They are very skittish, if they hear a door slam on the other side of the building, they are gone. So either we go out around 3:30 and wait, or we watch them through our back screened porch. Fun to watch, However, I wouldn’t want to get on their bad side.
Finally, I had to add this photo. Have you ever felt really embarrassed after leaving a public restroom and you have a piece of TP stuck to the bottom of your shoe? ----Not that bad---- Below is the Alpha Male leaving our garbage pit with a dental mask stuck to his bum!
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