"We start our day setting up the dental tables to check each patient who comes in. We need to check the dentation of each patient. Some of them have been scheduled for extractions, so we have to make sure that they have identified the right teeth and patient. We go into the OR either before or after the surgical procedure, according to when the surgeon wants the teeth removed. The next step is to go down to the dental room to take impressions on the patients who need obturators. (These Palatal plates are prosthetic devices generally consisting of an acrylic plate and retention clasps of orthodontic wire, which covers a fistula of the palate. In simpler terms, a palatal obturator covers any fistulas (or "holes") in the roof of the mouth that lead to the nasal cavity, providing the wearer with a plastic/acrylic, removable roof of the mouth, which aids in speech, eating, and proper air flow. Source: Wikipedia). The impressions are made using stone molds, then prescriptions are written for the way the obturator has to be made in the lab. We then proceed back to the OR to help with the checking of the patients before they go into the OR... then we help out in the OR. So there’s lots of running to and fro. Another of our tasks is that we have to teach the mothers how to feed their babies with a bottle."
It's a jam-packed day for the dentists (Rosario Mayro DDS of Jenkintown, PA, and Natividad Gervasio DDS of Manila) who voluntarily give their time and expertise to Rotaplast to help these children, who would otherwise not receive dental and surgical intervention, towards better oral health.
The anaesthesiologists, Sarah, Steve, Helen, and Denise (pictured) often experience difficulties that they might not have to face back home in the USA. Denise explains: My major challenge is in making the kids comfortable so the surgeons can perform. We have to keep them medically stable, which is sometimes difficult with their frequent respiratory infections. With the intense heat, and having to keep them NPO in a non air-conditioned waiting area, they are sometimes dehydrated before they come to us. It can be a real challenge getting IVs into those tiny veins.
The non-medical Rotaplast team members in Cebu – all Rotarians – fill roles necessary to the success of the mission. One role that can be stressful if things go wrong is that of Quartermaster. Our QM, Don, describes his work: “Both at the beginning and the end of the mission, and during the mission, the QM is required to float to fill whatever is required. Sometimes it is just getting supplies. Primarily I’m just trying to support the team where I can, but because this team is so efficient, I find myself having less and less to do. Mainly, you have to learn where to find things. We are lucky in that we have the resources here in Cebu to find everything. It’s not always the case. In India, the hospital was a long way away from our living area. Probably, the biggest danger of my job here is crossing the street!"

