The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

Dentist returns to Honduras  to give dental help

Elizabeth Mueller of Mason sits with items she obtained from her trips to Honduras. Mueller volunteered her time and dental expertise to assist the poor in rural Honduras. Staff photo by Apryl Pilolli

Apryl Pilolli/Staff photographer Elizabeth Mueller of Mason sits with items she obtained from her trips to Honduras. Mueller volunteered her time and dental expertise to assist the poor in rural Honduras. Staff photo by Apryl Pilolli

ENLARGE PHOTO

Mother accused of killing baby planning to appeal to Ohio Supreme Court
9/3/10
Do you know a soldier coming home?
9/2/10
Are you retired and need to work?
9/2/10
200 attend arts center meet-and-greet
9/2/10
Skydiving boogie this weekend
9/2/10
> More headlines

E-mail this page

By Emiko Moore, Contributing Writer 8:34 AM Tuesday, February 16, 2010

MASON — On a typical workday, Elizabeth Mueller sees a lot of baby teeth and dental X-rays as a pediatric dentist.

Her patients are children from the Cincinnati area, but when this Mason resident learned about the incredible need for dental care in Honduras, she decided to go and help people in that region, many whom have never seen a toothbrush or toothpaste.

For two weeks in January, Mueller went to a remote area of Honduras with members of an organization called Shoulder to Shoulder. The organization was started in Cincinnati to provide educational and health programs to the poor in rural Honduras. Paying her own way, Mueller volunteered her time and dental expertise.

On this trip, Mueller’s third, the organization went to Intibuca, Honduras, which is a few kilometers from the El Salvador border commonly referred to as the “Frontier.” Located in a very mountainous region, Mueller says it takes a full day’s ride, by bus or four-wheel drive truck, on a “badly rutted, unpaved dirt road” to get from La Esperanza, the capital city of Intibuca, to the remote cities of Concepcion and Santa Lucia.

Prior to the assistance from STS, many Hondurans in the area expected to have all their teeth pulled out in their 30s. The dental schools are not equipped to teach the latest techniques. As a result, the dentists in Honduras are very limited in the range of care they give.

“They are great oral surgeons and can take out teeth pretty well, but they struggle with what is considered simple fillings and crowns in the U.S.,” says Mueller.

The cavity rates in rural Honduras are extremely high, according to Mueller.

“They get an aggressive kind of decay in the pits and fissures of their teeth which is fueled by the diet of coffee with a lot of sugar, penny candy, and sugary drinks, such as fruit juice and Pepsi,” she said.

With just two weeks time, Mueller focuses on protecting the permanent teeth as much as possible with restoration, sealants, or extractions if necessary. Many, after long walks or expensive bus rides, will wait for more than 10 to 12 hours in line to have work done.

Mueller enjoyed getting to know the locals and admires how they are joyful in spite of their circumstances. Even though her Spanish is “horrible,” Mueller says the Hondurans were amused by her ability to act everything out.

Mueller says going on these trips gives her a better perspective on life and her “first world problems,” that pale in comparison to those in this third world country. Mueller says the trips are a good reminder of how lucky she is every day.

Who are you?

E-mail: warrencountynews @coxohio.com

»Who We Are is a celebration of the people, places and groups that make Warren County unique. E-mail us and tell us who you are.

Share this article