School of Dentistry news
- School of Dentistry professor visits Afghanistan
- School of Dentistry begins ‘Students in service' program
School of Dentistry professor visits Afghanistan
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| Quint Nicola, DDS (second from left), assistant professor, School of Dentistry, and associate director, Health Ministries Department, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, poses with faculty and administration from Stomatology Hospital of Kabul. |
Quint Nicola, DDS, assistant professor, oral diagnosis, radiology and
pathology, along with a small team from LLU visited Afghanistan June
3 to 12, 2003. Travel included stops in New York, Frankfurt, and Istanbul,
before the group landed
at the bomb-scarred airport in Kabul.
This country has suffered from repeated waves of brutal conflict for more than
20 years and it shows. The remains of damaged airplanes litter the airport, and
entire sections of the city have been bombed to the appearance of ancient ruins.
In spite of this, the people are friendly, energetic, and hopeful for better
times now that relative peace has ensued.
A visit was made to the Stomatology Hospital of Kabul for the purpose of assessing
its current status and needs, and possible ways which LLU can be of assistance.
According to Dr. Nicola—who also serves as associate director, Health Ministries
Department for the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists—Stomatology
Hospital is the only dental hospital and referral center in Afghanistan. The
450 stomatology students at Kabul Medical Institute receive most of their clinical
training in the hospital, starting in the third year of a seven-year program.
The physical facility is good with the building in reasonable condition; however,
classroom training equipment and materials are limited.
Equipment and instruments for clinical practice are also very limited and supplies
are minimal. The faculty is small, clinically active, and includes 14 qualified
stomatologists. There are four main departments: conservative (analogous to restorative),
surgery, pediatrics, and prosthetics.
The surgery department is prominent, with a full-time anesthesiologist providing
general anesthesia with IV ketamine. Anesthesia mishaps are backed up only by
an oxygen tank and simple mask.
As this is the only such facility in the country, serious cases are commonly
treated here. Multiple fracture cases as well as late-stage Ludwig's Angina,
osteomyelitis, and head and neck tumors are treated daily—some on an inpatient
basis.
Challenges facing restorative, pediatric, and prosthetic dentistry departments
include non-functional equipment and lack of instruments and supplies. We are
looking at ways in which LLUSD can be of assistance in this area. If you are
interested in helping, please contact Dr. Nicola at (909) 558-4607.
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School of Dentistry begins ‘Students in service' program
A new sponsorship program for "Students in service" has
been established by the School of Dentistry to enable donors to help
dental and dental hygiene students to participate in trips organized
by the School's service learning
department.
"Throughout the year," explains Fred Kasischke, DMin, assistant dean
for
admissions and service learning, "our students respond to requests to provide
oral health care to underserved populations in many parts of the world. Although
we have partial funding from various sources there are more requests than we
can fill, and we have some students who are not able to participate due to financial
considerations."
With a gift of $1,000, a donor can fully sponsor a student on a mission outreach
trip, including airfare, food, and lodging. All sponsorship gifts are tax deductible,
and receipts are provided by Loma Linda University gifts records office.
A committee will process requests for sponsorship and coordinate the selection
process. Primary consideration will be financial need of the student. Donors
will be notified of the student chosen to receive their sponsorship and will
receive a personal report from the student following the trip. They will also
be recognized in publicity and on a display next to the student lounge in Prince
Hall.
"This is a wonderful way for alumni, faculty, and others to have a direct
impact
on a student's ability to experience the rewards of a mission trip," adds
Dr. Kasischke. Future mission trips are planned to Russia, India, Mexico, Honduras,
and Haiti, among other destinations.
Partial financial support for these trips is currently being provided by the
School of Dentistry Alumni Association, the class of 1977, and the National Association
of Seventh-day Adventist Dentists.
Checks should be made out to Loma Linda University, with a notation at the bottom
that the gift is for "Students in service." Gifts by credit card
may be made through the School of Dentistry development office at (909) 558-4754.
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