THE DENTAL MISSIONARY

   “The tooth lady has come again!” the children shouted as they ran through the sandy paths to bring the good news and help throughout Ivory Coast villages in Ivory Coast, Africa.  The village women looked up from their early morning chores, laid down gardening tools, and prepared to make the most of this special day.  The news spread quickly as the small “town criers” all helped direct the tooth lady to the home of the village chief who would show her where she could park her bicycle and dental tools and stay for the night if she wished.  When first arriving in Ivory Coast walking was the only form of travel. From where the plane landed she faced a 300 mile walk across Liberia, covering 30 miles the first day, and switching to 20 miles each day until arriving in Ivory Coast.  Later a horse was loaned to her but this day a bicycle brought her to this small outback village.  A tall shady tree became her dental office and a wood stool provided a seat for the client.  Half a dozen tooth extractions could be completed in an afternoon.

   The tooth lady was my older sister Helen, who in October of 2011 has just celebrated her 90^th birthday with family and friends in Kamloops, B.C.  My younger sister Esther and her husband Lloyd, Helen’s appointed mentor and guide through the challenges of a new life back in Canada after 52 years in the Ivory Coast.  After breaking her hip when still living in Ivory Coast it became necessary for her to return to Canada for a retirement. A daylight apartment in the Howard home provided a pleasant residence for her for nine years and after several more broken bones now lives in a care home.  But let’s go back to the Ivory Coast and check out an afternoon of dental work.  Bicycle and tools are parked near the grass hut provided by the village chief. 

   The first dental patient this day has brought her two best friends to be with her for support and comfort since the “crash dental course” she Helen took in Toronto before leaving Canada did not permit the use of an anesthetic.  Neither French officials nor city dentists complained since the people in these remote villages lack funds to pay for dental work or bus fare to get to the nearest city.  A solution of salt water is kept nearby for rinsing the mouth after a successful extraction.  Another day we will rejoin her as she recounts the long wait in Brazil during the Second World War where all planes were needed for the war effort.  She met another Canadian missionary with whom she could work with for general safety.  Ivory Coast had a wonderful leader, Houphuet Boigny, who stayed on after independence from France in 1960 until his death in 1995.  The people deeply mourned their great loss.