Root canals, replacement teeth, and refugees

We had a dentist come in to our school at the end of the school year to check out kids who otherwise would not have access to a dentist. Only students who had filled out the paperwork were able to see her, and five of my students were on the list. Of the five students, two were fine. One had so much plaque and tartar on his teeth that the dentist wrote a referral for him to go see another dentist for a complete cleaning. And then there were my two girls. I'll write about one here today.

One student had a vertical crack in one of her front teeth that ran from up in her gum all the way down to the bottom of the tooth. This wasn't a subtle crack. It had bothered me from the beginning of the school year when I first saw her smile because I thought it must be painful. And here is where I made my mistake; my American self didn't want to ask questions about her mouth because for Americans (or at least Midwesterners, I'm not sure about the rest of us), it isn't polite to discuss others' medical issues unless they raise them in conversation. And here is where I made my other mistake; I assumed that the International Center was taking care of my students' medical issues. I was wrong on both fronts. I should have asked.

Here is the story. My student was running through her house in Thailand three years ago when her brother tripped her. She fell. Hard. And hit her mouth on the ground and broke her tooth. From top to bottom. With no access to a dentist, the family's approach was to have her suck it up. Fast forward two years, and her family moved to the United States as refugees. The International Center concerned themselves with getting the children the necessary shots to attend school and getting the family settled in to an apartment, but their support stopped there. Despite the fact that my student has Medicaid that would  cover her dentist trips, she wasn't taken to a dentist. And I had her in my class for a full year before I thought to investigate.

There are many details to share. After the dentist came to our school and saw that not only had my student cracked her tooth from top to bottom but also horizontally up under the gumline, she was horrified that the girl hadn't seen a dentist. We needed to get her to an office so that they could get that tooth out.

There are rules about teachers transporting students. We can't. So, I contacted the International Center. No return call. I contacted them via email. No return email. I contacted them again via phone. Nothing. I went to my principal and asked him to grant me an exception to the rule. He couldn't. He was trying to protect me from myself (thank you, litigious society). We contacted a dentist. He could see her right away. We needed transportation. And my student's mom needed to come to sign papers.

My principal intervened and contacted the International Center. Suddenly, we had movement. They would provide transportation. And a translator. And I would be allowed to go to the dentist with my student provided I drove myself and didn't provide them transportation. Fantastic.

My student needed to have the tooth pulled. The dentist needed an oral surgeon to do it because the damage was that extensive. And after having the tooth pulled, she could have a replacement tooth built. The problem? That meant at least four more dental appointments. Two problems there: 1) The International Center SUCKS (there, I finally said it!) when it comes to following up on these kinds of things. 2) Mom speaks no English, and we needed a lot of translation and support. And, frankly, my student's mom saw the whole thing as a hassle and not a necessity.

So the International Center managed to get her to the oral surgeon to have the tooth pulled, but then they dropped out of the picture altogether again. Sigh.

I've now spent two days at the dentist with my students this summer with two more days to come. I've worked out transportation for them and their families. I've dealt with telephone translators. I've been amazed at the trust their families have put in me. I've been amazed at the generosity and patience of the dentist who is working with my kids. And I've been angry that they have been neglected for so long and that my hands have felt so tied to help them.

Here is where I get to the part of the blog where I REALLY get on my soapbox:
1. The International Center needs to do their job. Or maybe redefine their job. But these kids have been neglected, and regulations in the school system have our hands tied. So when we identify a need, they need to support. And I'm tired of making excuses for them.
2. These families need community partners. They need cultural translators who can help them identify resources in the community that they can access. People don't want refugees to come and be a burden on the United States, but they also don't want to provide them the resources needed to make a successful transition from living in their culture to living in ours.
3. We need to start thinking about creative solutions to these problems. And we all need to be on the same page.

Two cups of coffee later, and I know I'm going to want to come back to revise this writing. I don't mean to make this about the International Center and their many failings. Rather, I mean to make this about my students. And their needs. And how we, as a community, need to do a better job folding these kids and their families in to our community.