Texas A & M College of Dentistry
Braces by the Sea
Graduate students take orthodontic care to the Caribbean by Jennifer Eure Fuentes
An interesting trend has occurred in Roatán , Honduras , over the past several decades . Between 1970 and 2000 , word began to spread about this small island off the country ’ s northern coast . More than 1 million people now visit Roatán each year , in large part because of its close reach to the Mesoamerican Reef , a diving and snorkeling mecca . That ’ s in sharp contrast to the average 900 visitors per year in 1970 , according to a 2016 NASA report . As the island ’ s tourism industry has grown , so too has the potential for higher incomes .
One of the keys to attaining those opportunities , according to Dr . Monte Collins ’ 84 , ’ 86 , adjunct assistant professor in orthodontics : a nice smile .
“ If they have a good-looking smile , it will help them get a job ,” says Collins . And then comes a trickle-down effect of better wages and with that , increased quality of life .
It ’ s what drew him to serve patients at Clinic Esperanza , which runs almost entirely on donations , especially fivedollar contributions from patients , four years ago . The clinic has a medley of volunteers from the health care sector , with new faces every day from all over the world . Dentistry , obstetrics and gynecology , laboratory services , and a pharmacy are all part of the mix ; why not add orthodontics to its services ? He called up Peggy Stranges , the clinic ’ s founder and president , to see if they had considered providing orthodontic care .
“ The bizarre thing is , they had an orthodontist a couple years before I got there ,” says Collins . That individual died unexpectedly in an accident , and by the time of Collins ’ arrival in Roatán , there were still
a few kids hanging on with braces intact . So he picked up where his predecessor left off , finishing treatment for current patients and starting braces for new ones .
He travels to the island every four months , providing a rarity in the dental mission field : consistent , sustainable orthodontic care . The clinic has a full-time pediatric dentist on staff whom Collins has trained
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