Dentists on a mission to Nicaragua bring relief, religion

A local oral surgeon, along with St. Stephens Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, is sponsoring a return dental mission team to Nicaragua Feb. 14 through Feb. 22. The group of 19 includes oral surgeons, dentists and various volunteers from the community.
Dr. Bryan Neuwirth and several staff are excited to be returning to Nicaragua and help others.
"As long as I've known about surgical mission trips, I've wanted to go," Dr. Neuwirth said.
Four years ago. Neuwirth joined with St. Luke's Methodist Church on its mission trip to learn how to get one started at his own church. The next year, Neuwirth headed to Nicaragua with a mission team sponsored by St. Stephens and has returned every year.
"Part is being a Christian and part is using the training we have, helping people when you can," Neuwirth said.
Neuwirth is joined by colleagues Dr. David Small, a local orthodontist and a doctor from Hickory and one from Greensboro.
"We help the people there with dentistry and medicine and experience a new foreign culture," Neuwirth said.
Traveling 200 miles north of the main city of Managua, the group brings relief to the region.
Neuwirth said, "These towns don't have access to normal dental care or pharmaceuticals. When these people have any type of toothache or abscess they've been dealing with it for weeks or months, the only way to relieve the pain is to remove the tooth."
The biggest problem faced is decayed and abscessed teeth, said Heather Pless a cosmetic consultant with Neuwirth's office.
"Last year we were able to pull more than 1,700 teeth with 405 patients being treated and 113 of those being under age 14," she said.
The group travels from Camp Mesel to nearby villages treating both adults and children's dental issues.
The remote area is very poor and most jobs are in farming, Pless added.
"We've been told we are the only dental group that comes to that area," she said.
Along with the dental team, a children's ministry group assists with the children. With families traveling 10 to 20 miles to the dental clinic the need for taking care of children is handled through an evangelistic children's ministry, Dr. Neuwirth said.
Nearly 100 patients sign up each day for dental treatment while the rest wait in line for a chance to be treated at the end of the day.
"It works best to have a children's ministry to not only evangelize and spread the gospel, but to entertain the children at that time," Neuwirth said.
"We do Bible studies, a simple craft along with different activities and offer a snack," Pless said who works with the ministry group from St. Stephen's. The group has assembled 500 health care kits to give away including soap, toothpaste, coloring books and crayons.
Some of the dental staff will share about hygiene with posters in both English and Spanish.
"This is something our whole group enjoys and feels led to go back," Pless said.
Surgical assistant Wendy Duckworth is returning to Nicaragua assisting with the mission. "It's very rewarding, it's hard work and overwhelming, but a great experience," Duckworth said. "You can tell you're making a difference, you are doing something for someone else."
Planning to continue the annual trek, Neuwirth said, "I would love to do more including different parts of the world, but I will continue with my first love in Nicaragua."
"These people are in pain with no access to care or medication to relieve the pain. That's what the mission is about — relieving the pain and providing care along with evangelizing and being a Christian to the people of Nicaragua," Neuwirth said.
Duckworth has been gathering supplies and collectively seeking donations for a raffle to support the mission trip. "We have local pharmacies and businesses that donate supplies for the trip," she said.
This weekend Maurice's in Morganton will offer support allowing the group to sell raffle tickets for $3 each.
"If someone purchases three raffle tickets they will receive 20 percent off their purchase on Saturday. All funds are going to help with the mission fund in general which includes needs for children in a ministry standpoint," Pless said.
More than 40 items have been collected from restaurants, local businesses in both Morganton and Hickory and tickets to Dollywood and Tweetsie Railroad for the raffle. Tickets may be purchased on Saturday during the event from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. or at Small and Neuwirth's offices.
According to Duckworth the drawing will take place in the Hickory office on Feb. 2 and winners need not be present to win.