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1. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with deformities/disabilities?
I am from Dominican Republic, a third world country where quality education is not affordable for most of its people. I think education is the key to how many different issues are addressed. For the most part, in my country individuals with deformities/disabilities are seen as useless/incapable people. I donāt think they are looked at as shamed or disgraced, but certainly as a people with no skills or ability to learn.They are seen and treated as babies for the rest of their lives. I have a very large family, my paternal grandmother had 15 children. As you can imagine, as my grandmother was getting older the chances of the younger ones to born with abnormalities was higher. Out of the 15 kids, one girl was born with Down Syndrome and a boy with speech problems. Neither of them attended school, had their own friends, or even form a family. My fatherās family was of low financial resources, and I am not sure if this was one of the reasons for not sending them to school. Anyways, my uncleās speech problem should not have been an issue interfering with him going to school. Contraire, he could have learned sign language to be able to communicate, meet others in his own situation, create a life, and who knows maybe have his own family. But this was never an option if he was taught to be a child forever and depend on others. I understand that my auntās condition was different, but also, how many Down Syndrome individuals do we see everyday going to school, graduating and even getting jobs? A life changing opportunity was taken away from them, just because they were labeled and pointed out as different to others.
2. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with oral health and dentistry?
Oral health in Dominican Republic a few years ago was poor. People will go to the dentist when an emergency came up (toothache, trauma, lesion of concern, and others). There was no such thing as periodical visits for cleanings, fluoride and sealants to prevent possible oral diseases. Part of this is because of the same financial issue, āIf I donāt need it, I wonāt pay for itā. Schools didnāt require a dental check up and most of the parents didn’t know the importance of the dental visits. Nowadays, dental insurances are being provided and interest in maintaining general health, including oral health, is rising. People starting to take advantage of their benefits, and services are more affordable. It is going to take time until oral health maintenance education reaches to everyone, but it is ongoing and that is what matters.
3. Thinking about facial deformities and personal experiences what does it mean to you to be sensitive to how a person looks (their appearance)?
A personās appearance does not define who they are. There is so much harm that we can do to a person with a deformity by just pointing them out as different, because they are not. Theyāre probably magnificent people behind of what most of us see, and by treating them differently we are only adding to their lack of confidence and underestimation of their abilities. I think we need to put ourselves in that person’s shoes. They did not ask for the deformity to happen to them. We should treat them as we would like to be treated if it happens to us.
I agree with you Patricia, in third world countries people with deformities or disabilities are consider incapable or useless. I, myself being from a third world country, Trinidad, can sympathize with this. In addition, many of the older generation are not very educated and lack knowledge of oral health. Therefore, once again I agree with you, that one would only go for treatment if an emergency arise. Hopefully one day we can be part of a change for these people.
Patricia, we have similar values in oral care as well. I can totally relate to the concept of āIf I donāt need it, I wonāt pay for itā in your culture. People in my country believe āif you are not in pain, you are fine.ā Therefore, I can totally relate to the concept of schools didnāt require a dental check up as well. This could be resulted from lack of oral health awareness and education. Also, I agree with you that āA personās appearance does not define who they are.ā I think we should pay more attention to what is on the inside rather than judge the book by its cover. We are all prefect and unique in our own way.
Patricia, I feel that I can totally relate to the values and beliefs that your culture associates with deformities and oral health because those beliefs are very similar to my culture. For example, individuals with disabilities are labeled as useless in our countries. But it is unfair to them because there are many rights and opportunities(such as education and employment) are taken away from them. We can’t imagine how uneasy for them to face those prejudice and discrimination in their lives. On the other hand, oral health is not emphasized in our cultures. Many people don’t pay much attention on taking care of their teeth. The lack of dental education and the expensiveness of dental services are contributed to this problem. I think that our culture should raise the concern of dental care, so people can get to know more about the importance of dental health.
What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with deformities/disabilities?
I was born and raised in the United States and I think as a whole we are a little more accepting and open minded then other cultures. Of course that doesnāt mean people with deformities or disabilities have it easy, but I do think we are better at accepting them and trying to make their lives as normal as possible. Also, we are fortunate to have advanced medicine and services that cater to certain deformities and disabilities. There are certain schools dedicated to children with various special needs. I have a cousin with Autism and she is the most loving, caring and affectionate person I have ever met. The fact that anyone would think any less of her breaks my heart.
In India, where the Smile Pinki video takes place, it is clear that they donāt have any options, their money and resources are limited. The children were treated like they werenāt good enough and would never amount to anything because of the way they look. Not only were the children not allowed to go to school because the other children made fun of them, but most of their parents thought very little of them. One mother called her own son a monster and another father blamed his wife for their childās cleft lip and told her to leave. The children in the video were capable of learning but their appearance made them not worthy.
What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with Oral Health and Dentistry?
In America, great importance is placed on Oral Health and Dentistry. You can not watch TV without seeing at least one commercial for a toothpaste, mouthwash or whitening strips. We know that it is important to take care of your oral health because many oral issues or disease can lead to other serious health problems. Most Americans are fortunate to have access to affordable dental care. There are clinics, like our school for example that provides check ups at discounted prices.
Thinking about facial deformities and personal experiences what does it mean to you to be sensitive to how a person looks (their appearance)?
I think it is very important to be sensitive to how a person looks, no matter what facial deformity the person has. We should take into consideration that they probably get judged and looked at constantly. They have feelings and should not be treated differently because of they way they look. They are probably very self conscious about it and we should try to make them feel comfortable around us. Whenever I have met someone with a deformity, I tried to look past the deformity and get to know the person. They all have stories regarding their deformity and it can be quite interesting to hear what they go thru on a daily basis regarding their deformity.
In the United states, they do emphasize oral hygiene. I completely agree with you on the fact the anyone with deformities did not choose to be so. And just because they didn’t have an option to chose otherwise, doesn’t mean they should be striped out of their right to a good respectable and equal life.
yes indeed !
I agree with Jessica, I feel my response was similar to yours in regards to growing up in the United States and how oral health is very important and is broadcasted all over the place. I also agree that in the US we are more accepting of people with deformities/disabilities and try and treat these people equally.
I agree with you because in the United States we do have more resources and chances at making something better. If we have no knowledge of something we research or we are told about it and that is how we move forward with making the problem better.
I was born and raised in a small village in China (mainland China). China is a developing country where people are not willing to talk about deformities/disabilities publicly. One of the major reasons is that people with disabilities are considered as an embarrassment. When I was a child, I never saw a single person with disabilities attending school or employed at any work place. Kids with disabilities are sent to what society calls āthe special schoolā while adults with disabilities have difficulties to find a job. They are treated as āabnormalā and sometimes others even look at them as being āuseless.ā because they are not fitting societyās idea of ānormal.ā Most of them become a burden for their family if and only if the family decides not to give up on them. For instance, the chance of a son or daughter with a disability, to get married and have a job is just like Pinki and the other children in the film who are devastated by the physical challenges and social stigma.
In Chinese society, people have very limited knowledge on how to take care of their teeth. The values and beliefs that my culture associates with oral health and dentistry is āif you are not in pain, you are fine.ā There is no such thing as a ādental checkup and cleaning every six months.ā The only reason that makes people visit a dentist is toothache. I remember when I was a little child during the deciduous period, my mom extracted my baby teeth for me and threw them onto our neighborās roof. She said the higher the tooth reached on roof, the prettier teeth I would get. We have limited education on dentistry in our society.
Watching āSmile Pinkiā not only motivated me to pursue the dream I have in dentistry but it also made me think deeper on people/societyās view on deformities/disabilities and appearance. In addition, it inspired me to help others who are in need. In this generation, so many people in the world judge others through their appearance and not what is on the inside. For instance, Albert Einstein he has a long curly weird hair and an awkward appearance. He looked like a person taking drugs because of his appearance, but truly he was a great scientist. This proves that appearance is deceptive. I think we should pay more attention to what is on the inside rather than judge the book by its cover. Beauty is not only skin deep.
I agree after watching the video, it did make think more about society’s views on deformities and disabilities. It is really interesting to read and learn about the values of other cultures. It inspires me to want to educate on the importance of oral health. I find it fascinating that your mother threw your deciduous teeth on your neighbor’s roof.
I agree with Jiayu to never ājudge a book by its coverā itās truly unfortunate to witness anyone having to go through life being judged by his or her appearance. It is absolutely a form of bullying. Societies should learn to be more accepting of others. It is intriguing to learn how different cultures values and beliefs on dentistry are so diverse. How interesting to learn your mother would throw your teeth on the neighborās roof for good fortune with your expectant teeth. In America we have a tooth fairy (really our parents) that leaves money under the pillow at night in exchange for teeth.
Yeah , I had same experience with JiaYu as I was a kid. My grandpa extracted my teeth, asking ā we must stand straight, upper deciduous should be throw into roofs, lower deciduous should be throw under our bedā.Only we follow this way, when our permanent teeth coming out, they would appear nice and straight. I was a naughty girl at that time, and I did not even listen to his words. After my permanent teeth #8 and #9 coming out, it was obvious cross bite which always be laughed by other kids. Before I exposed to more dental knowledge, I had been thinking that I got cross bite because I did not throw my deciduous teeth #E and # F onto roof. My culture values associate with oral health which affects certain generation that we believe there is unknown force determines the result of our oral health that something we can not do to change. So i believe education of oral health is the priority to my country in order to improve people’s oral health.
Alicia Vannatta
DEN 1114-D218
9/2/15
Assignment-Smile Pinki
Culture refers to a societyās beliefs, customs and traditions. Culture greatly influences all aspects of life including dental and medical practices. Oral care and hygiene begin at a very young age and it is imperative that parents instill the importance of preventative oral care in their children from early childhood. Practicing good oral care on a consistent basis greatly diminishes the chances of developing harmful and potentially dangerous oral and health related illnesses.
I was born and raised in the United States and I believe societyās views in America on deformities and disabilities have changed significantly over a period of time. For example the No Child left behind Act was introduced in 2002 and is an aid program to ensure those students, who are disadvantaged, achieve academic proficiency. By providing all children with a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education. This act shows how society wants to help make a change for those with disabilities. In the video smile Pinki the families were scared and ashamed but with todays advanced research, technology, and the help from society, hospitals have been able to provide free surgeries to thousands of people and give them a better quality of life.
Oral care and hygiene are fields that are constantly progressing and new methods of taking care of oneself are always being introduced to society. In American culture, people are becoming more aware of the positive benefits that accompany taking care of oneās oral health. I believe the way most people view oral care stems from how their family views oral health and hygiene. If children are taught from a young age about good oral habits, chances are those habits will stick with them throughout their lifetime and positively contribute to their overall well-being. For example, my family always placed a huge emphasis on good oral health when I was growing up and I attribute my positive oral habits today to my parents. Starting from a young age, my parents would take my brother and me regularly to the dentist for checkups and cleanings. My parents strictly enforced good oral habits at home. When I was younger, I had to have a palate expander and as much as I hated it, my parents always followed through with tightening it every day and followed the dentistsā instructions. My brother and I both had braces when we were young and even though we didnāt love them then, we thank our parents now and truly appreciate the wonderfully straight teeth we have as adults. It is very popular in American culture to have healthy, āpearly-whiteā straight teeth and as such, view oral health and dentistry as important aspects of life.
Everyone should accept people for who they are no matter their physical appearance. I was always taught that it is very insensitive to judge someone by his or her looks. One of my favorite quotes is ādonāt judge a book by its cover.ā To me, this means that you should not judge someone by how they look and I make every effort to live my life this way. One of my closest friends from high school, Amanda, had a deformity and it would bother me when people would judge her without knowing her. Amanda never let it bother her when others would judge her and she had an extremely positive attitude towards life. I know that Amanda was an exceptionally strong person and not everyone has that same quality. It is disappointing to know people go through life struggling because their appearance is not āperfectā by societyās standards. In the video, Smile Pinki, children with deformities stopped going to school because of the harassment they would endure from their fellow classmates. If people were better educated about deformities and disabilities, I believe society would be more accepting of everyoneās unique and wonderful differences.
Depending on the culture you are raised in each has a unique way towards different situations in life whether it is oral health, medical health, or physical appearances. This video was very interesting but sad to see how other cultures treated deformities so negatively. One of the mothers said that her husband left her when their child was first born because of the deformity they had developed. I could never understand how a parent could just walk away from their child and family over a deformity. Family beliefs will shape your way of life and how you will treat others as well as yourself. If children are taught from a young age about preventative oral care and healthcare practices, the benefits of good health will be a positive endeavor that will stay with them through out their lifetime.
Tiffany Tua
Histology and Embryology
D202
1. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with deformities/disabilities?
I am from Puerto Rican descent and when it comes to deformities or disabilities my family will have a variety of beliefs as to why it occurred. Coming from a Hispanic descent most of my family lived in the poor countryside of the island where they had to work hard for survival and looked upon religion for hope and faith. Deformities were rare to be found but when they were many within my heritage descent would question the motherās faith to God. They believed that God could not have punished oneās self with a child with a deformity unless they have done wrong in their life or abandoned their relationship with God.
2. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with oral health and dentistry?
My culture does not make oral health and dentistry an importance in their lives. Most of Puerto Rico are poor and cannot afford good hygiene or to even visit a dentist. This is usually because there is a limited access to dental care which would also mean a lack of dental insurance. Therefore, most of my elders within my family have bad hygiene, missing teeth and cavities. There is also a lack of educational services so many do not know the risks of diseases and why itās so important to have good oral health as well as how it can affect the rest of their health.
3. Thinking about facial deformities and personal experiences what does it mean to you to be sensitive to how a person looks (their appearance)?
I believe no one should be judged based on their appearance because it was not their choice to be born the way they are. Their appearance does not define who they are as a person and people should not judge because they do not know what that person has been through and how much they have suffered because of their deformity. I have a few family members that were born with deformities that they will have to deal with for the rest of their lives but we treat them equally to any of our other family members and love them just as much. Instead of discriminating people should help those in need and change someoneās life even if Itās to just being a support system.
I can relate to Tiffany Tuaās Puerto Rican cultures values and beliefs system because it is very similar to that of people in Guyana, where my family is from. My family also came from the countryside where people were poor. Families were usually very big and the little money people made was used for food, limiting the access to dental care. I recently traveled to Guyana and the children in the village where my mom is from have many cavities and missing teeth. Guyana is the third poorest country in Latin America and the Caribbean resulting in poor oral hygiene because most individuals have never been to a dentist. It is despondent to know much has not changed in my country but at least as an American we can afford to take care of our teeth.
I agree with Alicia that practicing good oral health on a regular basis diminishes the chances of developing oral ilnesses. The United States has provided an equal chance for all children to have the same education on good hygiene and has provided fair treatment for every child to get cleaning no matter their wealth. With this it has also shown in the Smile pinki video of equal opportunity for the children in India to get fair treatment and help although they can not afford it. The families were able to be educated on the illness and provide help for their loved ones and spread the word to other people they know as should be for oral health.
Growing up in the United Sates, I can say has been a blessing especially after watching the āSmile Pinkiā video. Although I was born in Israel and my parents were born in Tajikistan, which was then apart of the Soviet Union, I was basically raised in the United States. My culture, which is Russian Jewish, is very sensitive to deformities and disabilities. As children we are taught not to make fun of others and be sensitive to them.
Thankfully we do not see children with cleft lips in our society because it is usually taken care of the first year of the childās life. However, we do see people with other deformities and disabilities such as down syndrome. As a child, I was taught not to stare at people whom look strange to me and to be polite to them. Obviously, it is very hard to control yourself and not stare as a child and many times I would find myself doing just that. Not because I thought they were ugly or strange but because I was interested in why they look the way they do. It wasnāt until I went to high school that I became comfortable to be around people with disabilities. My high school had a special ed program and apart of that was that they were able to be in regular classrooms as long as they were on the same pace as the other students. There was one girl whom was on the wheelchair and had a tiny body with a normal sized head. At first I was very reserved around her and would not talk to her, but eventually I came to realize she is just like the rest of us and we became friends.
Oral health and dentistry is actually very important to my family. I personally always had issues with my teeth. I had cavities as a child and already have 3 crowns, which I had done before eighteen years old. My parents would take me to the dentist every six months to make sure my teeth are okay but I always somehow ended up having a cavity that needed to be filled. My father actually was a dental technician back in Tajikistan and at that time they were making gold crowns. So oral health was always definitely a priority in my family.
It is sad to see that people in third world countries are not able to get certain services just because they have no money for them. Cleft lips can be fixed so easily now and children do not have to suffer anymore. The children in the āSmile pinkiā video all seemed so vulnerable and really thought they were so different from all other people until they came to the registration day and saw all the other children just like them. It was interesting to see that most parents were worried that their children would not get married in the future because of their deformity. Thankfully, organizations such as the Smile Train organization exist and try to help as many families as possible.
I agree with you Aliza. In the smile pinki video, they did seem reserved and vulnerable and then realized that people are just like them. It’s sad to see that they’re families care more about the consequences of there appearance like not getting married and having a family. They’re families should accept them the way they are no matter what disabilities or demormaties they have. Also my parents took me to the dentist frequently and I experienced having bad cavities as well, maybe they didn’t do a good job with taking away the junk food and candy!
Seeing real cases and children like Pinki and Ghutaru remind me of how fortune I am to have been raised in the United States. I agree with how helpful it is going to school in this diverse nation and being aware of both childrenās and adultās deformities and being able to look past them. This does make us more open minded and compassionate as we get to know the individual on a personal level. I can also understand your level of curiosity as a child as I was raised the same way and just wanted to be informed with the circumstances of any deformity. We are extremely lucky to live in the United States and accommodate and give all individuals a chance, especially in the education field. Likewise, even though I went to my dentist frequently, I always had the most work to do on my teeth! I believe my parents were naĆÆve about the importance of primary dentition and how it could affect me at this point in my life. Thankfully we are in this program and can learn more modern techniques and tips to improve our own oral health!
Amanda Debes
DEN1114 D218
9/3/15
Reflective Writing Assignment: āSmile Pinkiā
My family and I were born in the United States besides my motherās parents, who were born and raised in Italy. My twin sister Stephanie was born with the disability called Cerebral Palsy because we were born premature. Cerebral Palsy is a condition with impaired muscle coordination cause by damaged of the brain during birth. It can affect speech like the boy Ghutaru, and fine motor skills in her hands and legs. Stephanie cannot walk so she is confined to a wheelchair. Pinki and Ghutaru have speech problems because of their cleft lips and palates and feel very embarrassed when speaking. Stephanie can relate to them because she used to feel embarrassed when sitting in a wheelchair around people who can walk. Unfortunately, Stephanie canāt have surgery to impair her walking. Instead she goes to therapy, which allows to her to walk on a tred-mil and gain strong muscles in her legs. My family is very supportive of Stephanie, we will do anything to help her and to see her happy which means sacrificing our needs before hers.
As Americans being healthy is the number one priority. My twin sister does have health issues do to her disability but that does not stop her from living her life. Since she is confined to a wheelchair, we go to therapy almost everyday of the week and it is very expensive. My family is very fortunate to be able to afford going to doctors and therapy for my sisters needs. Oral health and dentistry is very important to my family, besides my grandpa who has never been to a dentist and has wine stains on his teeth! He never went to the dentist because in Italy transportation and money were the issue for him. My parents taught me how to take care of my teeth, the first thing I do in the morning is brush my teeth. If I go downstairs without my teeth brushed, my mom would yell at me! We are very fortunate to afford going to the dentist. We know the importance of taking care of our mouth because if we donāt, it can lead to health issues! As Americans we have dental insurance and other opportunities like coming to City Tech for a free cleaning by us students! My twin sister Stephanie is always the best patient in the dentist office because she is used to sitting in reclined positions because her wheelchair reclines, tilts, and moves up and down for her comfort. If anyone needs a patient for clinic, Stephanie is the one to call!
My parents taught me that if I have nothing nice to say about someone to never say it at all, and to treat others the way I wanted to be treated. Pinki and Ghutaru never went to school because the students would make fun of their cleft lip and palate and even scare students away due to their appearance. Pinki would be called ācut lipā by students. My twin sister has strangers and students in school stare at her constantly because of her appearance. When we were in middle school, students used to call her ācrippledā and āretartedā all because she is in a wheelchair. Do you know how many times I got sent to the principalās office for defending my sister and when my parents came, the whole school knew what was going on, (not because were a loud Italian American family) but because it is unacceptable! We never let that stop us from going to school because my mom works for the Board of Education and doesnāt believe in absences. Ghutaru and Pinki never went to go to school because their parents just wanted them to be happy which meant just taking them out of school. I believe that judging people by their appearance is a form of bullying and you should accept people the way they are no matter what facial deformity or disability they have.
wow i really like your story. i think it is great that you and your family are so supportive of your sister and she is able to get the care she needs. i know the struggles of being in the principles office too. my younger sister doesn’t have any disabilities or deformities, but she has always struggled with being over weight. She was picked on so much by other children and would come home crying almost everyday. it was really hard to watch her go through that and i would always defend her and pick fights with people who made fun of her. I can only imagine how it was for you and your sister.
Amanda, I just want to start off by saying that you are such an amazing and supportive sister to your twin Stephanie. She is very lucky to have someone like you by her side at all times. I don’t understand why people in this world think that bullying is ok. People born with a disability have enough things to deal with, they don’t need anyone else’s negative comments to deal with too.
BTW, next semester when it comes to finding my own patients, i’d be more than happy to use your sister Stephanie as one of my own.
This is so irrelevant to the Subject, but I just wanted to comment on how lucky your sister is to have such loving and caring family. Stories like yours is what makes people’s hearts filed with worth, love and so much more emotions.
God bless you and your family.
I really loved reading your reflection. I also have relatives with a disability and I think it makes us more sensitive to them. We can really tell they are not much different from any other person, if not better. I understand expenses to treat disabilities are expensive in United States, but you should be grateful your sister lives in a country that has the facilities to received appropriate care. It gives her the opportunity to have the closest to a normal life as she can get.
Eleni Gaziani
DEN 1114-Histology and Embryology
Professor Maria Bilello
10 September 2015
āSmile Pinkiā
1) What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with deformities/disabilities?
Being a Greek-American, my initial reaction to deformities/disabilities differs from my family. Empathy is a personal emotion that canāt be used to describe the familiarity of my culture, however, my family shares this quality. Seeing an individual with any visible health issue does bring a sense of discomfort within my culture. Of course this feeling is well hidden at the moment, but nonetheless is the topic of discussion at the dinner table. Living in New York City doesnāt help much with the stigma on oddities. Pertaining to women, one size must fit all, and thatās enough to feel out of place physically and mentally. Viewing this theme from Greece, I see great comparisons to āSmile Pinkiā to both males and females. My family comes from a village in Northern Greece that lives by very traditional standards. A lot like Pinki, a woman with a deformity like clef lip wouldnāt have such a great chance at finding a husband and starting a family. This undervalues the individual and obscures the greater qualities of being a woman. Likewise, a man with a disability would be out of work and unable to support his family. We might see similar examples in New York City in the work field and the limitations on the types of jobs an individual can obtain depending on the severity of that disability. This is clearly an observation, but train rides home reflect our overall culture to sympathize with these individuals. Donations and charity are offered more rapidly when an individual displays a clear disability. We automatically assume they need more help, but how can we possibly know their emotional distress or lack of for that matter? At a very young age I learned to treat everyone as equals and see past deformities and disabilities. Itās not a matter to discuss once I get home or stare at. Itās just another person going by their day.
2) What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with oral health and dentistry?
My aunt is a dental hygienist, two of my cousins are in dental school, and my consistent visits to the dental office have contributed to this point in my life! Itās safe to say that there is a high level of importance associated with oral health and dentistry. Though my family and I are very cautious about our oral health and follow-up on all dental and periodontal visits, it took multiple errors and misdirection to make us this timid. My brother and I both wore braces, my mother and father have had cosmetic work done and I recently had a frenectomy on the mandibular labial frenum and a tissue graft from the hard palate to cover recession. These procedures have only made me more aware and curious of the types of health factors that can be determined from an individualās oral health and how they can be prevented or treated. As a culture, I believe we are concerned with our overall health and living a healthy lifestyle for a long and prosperous life. Health is the most important aspect of living, and that includes oral health. In America, we say ācheerā at the end of a toast, in Greece, we say āto our healthā.
3) Thinking about facial deformities and personal experience, what does it mean to you to be sensitive to how a person looks (their appearance)?
In general, I am a sensitive person to both direct and indirect interactions. Whether a theoretical or personal event, I react immediately. However, in terms of an individualās appearance, I feel selfish for my level of sensitivity or for shifting my reaction from normal to sorrow. I am human and feel pain to see another individual suffer, but that individual should be given the same opportunity to succeed and exhibit their best qualities. They should be seen past their deformities. Whenever I turn on the television and see athletes with missing limbs or artists with terminal illnesses that pursue their dreams and continue with an ambitious attitude, I feel great pride and wish to reach that level of success. My neighbor has Down syndrome and he is one of the sweetest kids I know and continues to go to school. My family friend in Greece is a great member of the community despite his physical deformities and is currently running for president of our region in Greece. These are just a few examples that illustrate the greatness within every person despite their deformities or hindered health. Everyone should be given a chance to succeed and make their dreams a reality.
. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with deformities/disabilities?
I am from the beautiful island of Trinidad and Tobago, a third world country, where education was a luxury for many of the older generation. Unfortunately, many people don’t understand how to deal with individuals with deformities or disabilities and may have a negative view of these individuals. This can cause people with these problems to be treated badly or labeled in a way that hurts their standing in the community. This is sometimes called ‘stigma’, and can affect those with deformities, in their careers and families. They can be excluded from the community or made fun of. Growing up on Trinidad, I remembered a classmate of mine, dropping out from school at a young age, because he was constantly made fun off due to his disabilities. Sad, but this is unfortunately a reality for many with deformities and disabilities.
2. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with oral health and dentistry?
Oral health in the Caribbean region has largely been a low priority for society and regional governments. Public dental services (clinics) provide most of the care to the population, with private practice treatment being difficult to access due to financial reasons. This has resulted in inequalities in oral health, such as, if something is broken, the solution is to āpull the toothā. Restorative options are for the well educated or wealthy. Dental health hasnāt been a priority in the past but because of education and technology today, people are becoming more aware of preventive care, restorations and maintenance in the dental world.
3. Thinking about facial deformities and personal experiences what does it mean to you to be sensitive to how a person looks (their appearance)?
Life for a person with any type of facial deformities can be very difficult; therefore I believe that one should be more sensitive in their approach to that person.
If a person has an unusual appearance, it can be common for people to stare, make funny faces, and ācall namesā, things that a person with a facial deformity wonāt necessarily appreciate.
The individual can feel as if theyāre on display or on show. Other peopleās stares or questions can feel intrusive to them and that can be hard to deal with. This may cause them to shy away from society, feel anxious, and affect their confidence as well as their social interactions. Just like my childhood classmate, whom which we never saw again because he was constantly ridiculed.
Hence, one should be polite, respectful and treat that person the way one would like to be treated.
1. what are the values and beliefs that your culture associated with deformities/disabilities?
At an early age I was taught to respect other human beings no matter what race, color, creed or disabilities/deformities. My American culture made me realize that people might look or act different but they are all still human beings. I was brought up to treat people the way you would want to be treated. Instead, of our American culture thinking of disabilities or deformities as a setback our culture and beliefs have led us to programs that give the less fortunate the ability to take care of their dental and health. I believe being brought up in an American culture where morals and good behavior is my way of life made my values and beliefs even stronger which make it possible for me to deal with people from all walks of life.
2. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associated with oral health and dentistry?
Being brought up with American culture appearance played an important role in our way of life. First impression says a lot about a person. The number one thing I notice about a person is their oral health. You can tell right off the bat if a person takes care of their teeth. I was taught as a child how important it is to brush your teeth three times a day so that you don’t get tooth decay. At three years old I started going to the dentist to get the proper care I needed for good oral health care. It was the dentist who said I would need braces because of overcrowding of the mouth. My parents put braces on my teeth in my early teens so that I would have beautiful teeth and therefore a beautiful smile in the years to come. They believed that people look at your appearance first and ask questions later.
3. Thinking about facial deformities and personal experience what does it mean to you to be sensitive to how a person looks (their appearance)?
I was brought up to be sensitive to how a person looks. From an early age I realized that something was different about my cousin who has Down syndrome. She not only looked different from me but also acted very different. She never talked clearly and she would flap her arms up and down. She also didn’t have good oral hygiene because she was petrified of the dentist. Needless to say she has very bad teeth today. At first I was apprehensive about her looks; she made me very nervous and uncomfortable to be around. My parents explained that all kinds of people are born in this world and that my cousin was a lovable soul who has every right to belong in our society. Our American culture provides for these people by sending them to special schools and programs so that they can function on their own. If everyone understood that they themselves are not perfect, we would be more sensitive on other peoples appearances.
1. What are the values and beliefs your culture associates with deformities/ disabilities?
My father is from Palestine and my mother is American; so since we know how things are in America I will focus on my fathersā culture. He was born in 1955 Bethlehem, Palestine. Growing up in school he had many children with disabilities and deformities. Kids are mean, so for the most part they would make fun of people that are different from them selves and tend to shun away from them. People with deformities are fully accepted by their families, but by strangers not so much. Those with disabilities and deformities are fully integrated into the Arab society and are able to go to mainstream school. My father had 3 blind children in his classes through out school. He says that they are all cheaters. He would always catch them reading brail under the desk during tests. They also have special schools to help people with severe cases of disabilities and deformities, much like we have in the US.
2. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with oral health and dentistry?
Growing up in Palestine my father was always told to brush his teeth morning and night. He never made a habit of it though and his parents were not persistent on the males doing it. All of his sisters would brush religiously because they have to rely on their beauty, so they are able to find a good husband. The only toothpaste that was available was Colgate and flossing did not exist at the time. He had never herd of flossing until he moved to the US in the late 70ās. There was no such thing as dental cleanings. The only time a person would go to the dentist is when something was severely hurting. After trying all home remedies first which consisted of letting aspirin dissolve on the tooth that was hurting and rinsing your mouth with Ooza; which is an alcohol to help numb the pain. A dental visit would only be to drill and fill or extract the tooth. My dad still remembers his first dental cleaning and that was in 1977 in the US. He says it was pointless. It took forever and made his mouth bleed and hurt, and then he felt no different.
3. Thinking about facial deformities and personal experiences what does it mean to you to be sensitive to how a person looks (their appearances)?
Through out my life I have not seen very many people with facial deformities. When I do I try my best to not focus on the deformity and focus on the person as a whole. I do feel very sad for them though. Life is hard enough and to have a deformity makes it that much harder. Your face is the first thing that someone looks at, and people judge other people very quickly without getting to really know that person and what they are capable of. People with facial deformities are so much stronger then the average person because every day is a challenge for them. I am very grateful for myself and for my daughter to be blessed without disabilities or deformities. When I was in high school I did a research paper on cleft lip and palate and Smile Operation which is a program that deals with going to unfortunate countries and providing free surgery for children who suffer from this. It really touched my heart and made me want to go into the dental field and help give back. Now after watching the āSmile Pinkiā it brought back that same feeling. I think that getting into these programs and helping these children is what I am meant to do and is what I am going to do.
I can relate to your response because my parents were raised in similar situation as your father. They were never taught to floss and went to the dentist only when in terrible pain. When we moved to United States I learned that it is necessary to go for cleanings and examinations every six months. Since I work in the dental office now I make sure my parents come for their preventative visits.
Yosra Sulaiman
DEN1114
D218
September 12, 2015
Reflective writing assignment
(Smile Pinki)
It is so unfortunate to be in the 21 center and yet, know people still have no value for oral health or even for professionals who work hard to educate them in this matter. We all see or hear often of this in the 3rd world countries, where lack of the education and the increase growing in poverty are the dominant aspects of everyday life. And because of the lack of education people ignore the presence of disabilities or deformities or hide it. Most people in those countries might have different reasons or believes into why these types of abnormalities exists, but they all have one conclusion that it is ābadā or āevilā.
I came from South Yemen. Yemenis, due to poverty and lack for better education and limited resources, often donāt go to dentist . they have no trust in dentists. They think dentistry has no purpose except to collect peopleās money. According to them dentists are not even Doctors. This idea had so much impact on dentists. It would be visible to everyone that dentists compete not to be good dentist , reliable, and honest, but to make the most money even if they donāt do the job right. Also people donāt really care of their oral health and they will hesitate to pay for a doctor visit if itās for a routine check up. But they will pay so much money for any cosmetic work done for them such as implanting a diamond on a tooth; which was very popular in the past couple of years; or whitening their teeth. And even that is a leverage of people who only can effort it. With all those problems present, treatment for a patient like Pinki can only be found outside the country.
I havenāt been to my country for the past 16 years, but I am hopeful and confident that their ideas about deformities and disabilities have changed. Back then, individuals with any physical abnormalities were looked at as monsters. And if their abnormalities were to be physiological, such as being deaf, blind or disabled, they would be a punishment for the parents for some evil act they did, just like in the documentary (smile Pinki).
One story we heard of back home, was of an old lady and her 40+ years old son. When this old lady died alone in her house, neighbors went in to do the burial processes. Suddenly they heard noises coming from the ground floor. They went down and they saw this man crawling on the floor. Looking at her papers and around the house they knew it was her son. She didnāt want people to know of him because that would shame her to have such a child, a child that was disabled and mute. The sad part is for a long time after she died, some people thought of her so highly. They thought that she was a very proud women cause she knew that if people had any idea of her son existing, they would look down at HER and that would break HER. It is also heart breaking to know the she died unable to seek help for her son, see him happy once, or let him see daylight.
Personally, when I was younger, one of my neighbors had microcephallus or small head syndrome. I used to play with him if there were other kids, but I was never alone with him. If he would to put his hand on me, I would freak out. For some reason I thought he was an alien. I was so terrified of him. This boy was the most normal and strong kid I have ever seen. But yet, due to the delayed development of his head and his high pitch voice, I had this idea that I would become like him if he puts his hand on me. Remembering that now, I had no reason to be scared, and it was silly of me to think so, but I was only 6 and didnāt know
The story of the old lady and her son is very gloomy it reminded me of a video of a girl who was kept in her room for years. It is very hard to believe that even if we are on the 21st century there still places that lack of education, in order for them to know that there might be a cure. And unfortunately, in some countries only leverage people are the ones able to afford health issues.
I completely agree with you, our cultural believes and values play a role in our up bringing. We are What we are taught at childhood until we learn otherwise. Education is the number one source of a better life. It enlighten us about right and wrong, and makes our choices thoughtful and fully considered. If education was emphasis, lot of these countries would have been in a much better place in every aspect then what they are now.
Jessica Cortes
DEN 1114
D218
Even if I am far from my country, Smile Pinki made me realize that I still hold some of the beliefs that I held in Mexico. My great grandfather was a very traditional person, he taught me some beliefs that many people share in the Mexican culture. There is the one about the relationship of a probability of a baby being born with a harelip or cleft lip in the occurrence of a solar eclipse while the female is pregnant just as āSmile Pinkiā. I got really scared when he told me this, I decided to go to a cafĆ© Internet and search the dates of the upcoming eclipses so I could warn pregnant females about it. According to the beliefs, there was a solution. The solution was to tie a red ribbon on your finger and the baby would be born without abnormalities. Religion plays a big role in my family, my grandmother use to say āGod is the only one who knows what is he doing and why he is doing it, everything he does has a purposeā. Quotes like these are an example of the strong believes that the Mexican culture has, when it comes to religion and physical abnormalities. Smile Pinki made me think of the similarities that cultures have when it comes to coping or understanding individuals with physical abnormalities like a cleft lip.
Growing up in Mexico in a low-income household played a big role when it concerned the well-being of family members. The closest clinic to our house was an hour away. If there was a serious emergency the probability of a person getting to a hospital on time was very low. Raising money to pay for medical assistance in case a family member needed it was common. I recall all my family members giving in money in order to help my cousin pay for her dentist. She started feeling constant and strong pain in her molars before she knew it was time to go to the dentist. They eventually ended up having to take out her two molars out.
Daily oral hygiene was also affected because of income. Hygiene was always important in my family but sometimes we didnāt have enough money to buy toothpaste or mouth wash. The alternative was home-remedies. These remedies would vary depending on the family where they come from; each had their own twist. My familyās remedy to whiten out teeth was to brush our teeth with a burned tortilla. I remember people say that chewing on garlic or clove pieces will alleviate toothaches. Older people when suffering from intense toothache would take the decision to pull out the affected teeth since it was impossible to afford professional care.
Going back to physical abnormalities and the culture in Mexico, I must say that I donāt remember having many experiences in which I was able to see how the community coped with children with physical abnormalities. Maybe I wasnāt old enough to be aware of my surroundings. In the other hand, maybe in fact I didnāt see many people with abnormalities. A possible reason of why I didnāt see them could be because parents usually kept them most of the time inside their houses. It could be that the lack of education or awareness about issues like those increases ignorance about the topic and therefore bad judgment.
In reflection to the movie, I was able to think back of the similarities and differences to my culture. Itās a reminder that everyone is equal and that even if we donāt look or think the same, we need to respect and care for each other; the soul has no perfect shape.
I agree with you, home remedies are another thing 3rd world countries depend on because they couldn’t afford paying for Doctors. In my country it was Miswak which is a tooth stick that is natural and used just like tooth brush, or other alternatives such as charcoals.
You are right Jessica, more often oral issue will go untreated due to lack of financial sources or education. This issue wont be fixed until awareness is spread in those countries.
I was born and raised in the United States and I am a Chinese American. Although I live in America, I learned the Chinese values and beliefs through family and friends. In Chinese culture, we value family more than our wellbeing. A Chinese family and its reputation are important and one would avoid bringing shame to the family. Chinese people donāt usually speak out and seek help about a family member with deformities/disabilities because it will embarrass and bring shame to the family. In the Smile Pinki video, a woman said her husband told her to leave with the child when their child was born with a cleft lip. I assume the husband thought the child was a disgrace to the family. One should never judge someone based on their appearance. They should be sensitive to how a person looks. I believe oneās personality and good morals are superb compared to their physical appearance.
In Chinese society, Children are highly valued because it is believed that in the future, children can bring success to the family. Also, children born with a disability/deformity is believed to be a punishment to the parents or ancestors because they may have sinned in the past. An odd belief that I have heard before is when a pregnant woman touches a scissor, the baby will be born with a cleft lip or a deformity on anywhere else of the body.
When comparing the oral health and dentistry values and beliefs of American and Chinese society, Americans enforce greater importance on oral health. When it comes to oral health and dentistry, one would say its rank of importance is low in Chinese society because there are many other important things to take care of. My parents told me that they would only go to the dentist, back then in China, when their teeth hurts or when something else is wrong in the oral cavity. Some reasons why they rarely visit the dentist is because they were poor and there is a lack of dentists. Visits to the dentist would mean they have to travel and use expenses. I am grateful to be born and raised in America, at this time period, where dental care is convenient and affordable.
Unfortunately travel and expenses are big reasons why many people outside of the United States fail to seek oral or general health care. As we saw in the Smile Pinki video, this was her families biggest issue. When people are in a tight spot, however, they will go to the ends of the earth to make things work (especially when a child’s well being is at stake). As we saw in the video her family went completely out of their way to get her the help she needed.
My father’s parents who were born and spent a majority of their lives living in Greece have the same feelings about oral health as your parents and those of Chinese culture do. My grandmother told me that this was also because she grew up with little money, and because the island she lived on was far away from any medical care. Because my grandparents were taught to only see a doctor if the problem was of great concern, they unfortunately carried this into their parenting years, which resulted in my father, aunts, and uncle to have acquire many dental issues.
Fan Chen
DEN1114-D218
Reflective Writing Assignment: āSmile Pikinā
I was born in China. I have been lived there for 17 years. In my own culture, people with deformities would become sensitive for others who around them. Individuals who have deformities do not socialize with others. As like Pinki, her classmates used to make a fun when they looked at her face, and they didnāt respect to her as well. They called her ācut-lipā. So she doesnāt go to school anymore, because she didnāt look as a normal person in their eyes. In my country, people with disabilities spend most of time stay at home because they are afraid of staring and laughing from others. For those groups of individual, people would provide helps for them. We can see many āspecialā passageways are built for people with disabilities in the streets or roads. They think that the vulnerable groups need social care, because those people may also suffered from mental and physical impairment. Especially for those poor families. They desire more helps. They may also have a lack of financial supports in their life. I still remember that the Great Earthquake happened in China on May 2008. A lot of people dead and injured. In that time, we had a fundraising activity in the communities and schools for those poor people who have a disabilities. Therefore, I think that our society has a positive ethical and humanistic for those people.
In my culture, people rarely look for dental treatment in their daily life, except the tooth is painful and cannot suffered for them. They may lack of knowledge about oral health and dentistry. They think that we just need to brush our teeth every day, the teeth will be healthy. Looking for any health treatment plan is not necessary. It not only waste our time, but also waste our money. They even donāt know that have a good oral healthcare plan can help us attain and maintain an optimal oral health and prevent diseases. But now, I realize how it is important for us. People need additional supports to maintain an oral health in our daily life.
Defect as more widespread in different countries. However, a person who has a facial deformity will cause bystandersā attention. They will think itās abnormal and look like as a monsterās been born. They will feel scared when they look at her/him. But, if it was the motherās fault? Absolutely not! The cause may be a nutritional deficit or it could even be genetic. We should treat them equally as like a normal person. A quote states that, āCaught up in the ‘look’ thing. Sometimes, we as men and women, the first thing that attracts us to someone is their physical appearance, and that’s not always a good thing because what’s good on the outside is not always good on the inside.ā was written by Keith Sweet. I truly agree with him. Internal factors are more important than external factors. Therefore, facing those groups of people, we should respect them and treat them equally.
I can really relate to how people are treated with disabilities in your country because it’s also very similar I’m Pakistan. People are teased and treated very differently sometimes. As a result, they don’t really intermingle in the general population and become very secluded and that’s really sad!! Unfortunately I think the way people are treated is due to a lack of knowledge, and therefore you’re right when you say it’s not the mothers fault, but people don’t really know any better sometimes. We should treat everyone equally, with respect and compassion because we never know what anyone’s really going through.
Appearance does determine if you are attracted to someone or not. I agree that appearance isnāt everything, but whatās on the inside is just as important. Our society is definitely making sure people get the right health care thatās needed for them. Ā I agree that many people wait to the last minute to get dental care treatment. A lot of people I know just wait to they have severe pain and then go see a doctor about it. I donāt agree that people wait so long to get treated because itās making the situation worse for them. Itās sad that Pinki and others with deformities have to hide so they donāt get made fun of and because of that they have limited opportunities.Ā
1. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with deformities/disabilities?
I m a Chinese immigrant and have been New York for 4 years. In Chinese traditional culture, older generations believe ākarmaā which refers to the sum of a personās action in this and previous states of existence would decide their fate in the future existence. If there is a kid who was born in deformities or disabilities, older generations would refer this sign back to his previous generations that they might had done something evil in the past, as a result, their next generation was born in defects. The solution, at that time, was they head to temple or church to repent their evil deeds in the past and pray their kids would regain the ānormalā as others. However, as the society develops, more and more people have been exposed to advance knowledge, they slowly realize that genetics express dramatically lead to the result of deformities or disabilities. So they would seek more scientific ways to help deformities or disabilities to gain a ānormalā life. Such as: government built up various programs for disabilities where they are able to learn skills and show their talents to support their futures. Besides, government also held presentation events or sent out leaflets to influence traditional views of certain groups. No matter people think deformities or disabilities in traditional or modern concepts, still, people who are born in deformities or disabilities are like a broken angel to us. We are willing to give them more our loves and supports when we see them. Community encourages them to get strong skills, and people prefer to see their talent instead of treating them as evil deeds.
2. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with oral health and dentistry?
Well, this topic really interests me and I know exactly how I have been through from unknown to known in oral health field. Right now, I am here for Dental Hygiene program, the priority reason of pursuing this career, is that I have been seeing how the attitude my country people hold on to oral health, and I am willing to educate them how important oral health is after my graduation. In china, I grew up in countryside and finished my bachelor degree in a city. Throughout of my 20 years in china, I only got a dental checkup and cleaning. Except some highly developed cities, people have very weak sense of oral care in most other areas, and they are not being educated of oral health in school or public. The only reason they go to dental office is there is something painful or really bothering. āNo symptom, nothing wrongā is the basic concept of oral health among the society. As being a dental assistant in NYC for 4 years, I have been changing my concepts of oral health belief from my culture, and I have been seeing a lot Chinese in my clinics experiencing same wrong concepts as previous self. People feel when they grow older, teeth getting lose and extraction are inevitable. Nobody teaches them some basic terms of oral health, so they would be afraid to get dental prophy because they feel teeth getting lose after dental cleaning. So yah, I believe the main issue of my Chinese culture associates with oral health and dentistry are lack of education of dental knowledge.
3. Thinking about facial deformities and personal experiences what does it mean to you to be sensitive to how a person looks (their appearance)?
My parents are Buddhist, so I was taught that we could not judge others by their appearances. Well, when I was a kid, it was normal to experience that kids surrounding be laughed about their not so ānormalā appearance comparing to other kids. So when those āabnormalā grew up, most of them experienced self non-confidence, I am one of them. I used to have crossbite, and I felt very embarrassing whenever I smiled which showed my crossbite teeth. Slowly, I got used to smile less or covered my mouth whenever I smiled. With 15 years of Chinese educations, teachers all taught us the soul of one person is more important than the appearance of them. So I thought I m less sensitive to how others facial deformities, but to myself, I am. After watching āSmile Pinkiā, I m impressed by this video that I questioned myself if I see a patient like her, will I treat her in a different way? It recalls me of my story it happened two weeks ago, I took subway to work and there was a lady, who looks around 35 years old with peeling skin all over her face, sitting right next to me. The first sight, I recognized that she has facial deformities. I pretended that I was not mean to look only at her, and I could tell she performed that she is as ānormalā as others, well, she is! Just at that certain moment, I questioned myself, āam I really not sensitive to othersā facial deformities?ā After few seconds, I gave the answer: āyes, I do have sensitive to her facial deformities that she might have some significant different from others. However, I didnāt look her differently. Just her facial deformities impressed me and made me think of what experiences she had been through. Her confidence and acts surprised me that why I m so care of how others look at my appearance.ā It is always a good lesson learning from others, and reflected back to our own situation in how you look at yourself and how you look at others.
My parents are buddhist as well and they really believed the theory of karma. I agreed with you, our unconscious act can really result in prejudice and discrimination. People will facial deformities already have the sense of insured and our behaviors do makes a different to them.
Smile Pinki is a documentary that took place in rural India. It presents a story of children, including a little girl named Pinki, with cleft lips and cleft palates. This facial and oral deformity happens while the baby is developing in the mother during early pregnancy. These children with disabilities are teased by other children in school because of their uncomely faces. Even family members think of their children as bestial or monstrous. This documentary depicts how the lives of hundreds of children in India are transformed after receiving surgery.
After viewing this documentary it is apparent to me that there are many values and beliefs in peopleās culture that are associated with deformities and or disabilities. I am American, but my parents are from Guyana. I believe that the stigmas behind deformities/ disabilities in Guyanese cultures are attributed to Eastern ideologies such as karma and reincarnation. These principles are main focal points in Guyanaās most popular religion, Hinduism. I asked my father to elaborate on the ignominy that is associated with deformities and disabilities in our culture. During his generation there was a misconception in which families believed any abnormality of a child was causation of the parentsā wrongdoing and punishable by the wrath of God. As a result the child would have to suffer the consequences, and were often considered pariahs in their own communities. As a result of her cleft palette Pinki never obtained an education and was forced stayed home to avoid ridicule. Additionally, the events in oneās past life could affect the present life of a child. Most families at this time were not educated on scientific or medical reasons behind these deformities.
As an American I have not had experience in this system of belief as my parents taught me to be accepting of all people. In my experience with my culture most parents currently try to make their child feel comfortable through the aid of modern medicine if required. Personally I feel it is great to see such a difference in the humanity of my culture within the span of just one generation.
When asking my father about oral health and dentistry values and beliefs in Guyana he said it was important. Unfortunately, it was not financially possible for people to have practice good oral hygiene. Dentistry was considered a luxury limited to the upper class. Most households did not even have toothbrushes; instead they used black sage, an herbal plant, to clean their teeth. Tooth extractions in which all of a personās teeth are removed is still a common practice in many homes. In America oral health and dentistry is very important. Children usually go to the dentist by age one. There are vast amount of dental products for people to buy and use and there is even fluoride in water to help prevent tooth decay. I usually go to the dentist twice a year for a checkup and cleanings.
Thinking about facial deformities and personal experience I try not to judge a person on their appearances. It is cruel to outcast an individual based on looks and not personality. A personsā looks is very important and no one chooses to have a deformity. I feel that my ethics would be compromised if I were to make someone feel depraved. I remember a friend in high school who had a gap between her upper front teeth. People used to make fun of her behind her back even though she was intelligent and beautiful. It eventually shamed her into getting braces, but during her time in high school year I saw how bullying negatively affected her. I feel confident in my ethics to be able to say that any abnormality is not a reflection on a personās personality or ability.
At the end of the documentary it was prodigious to see how surgery help shape these children futures. Due to their cleft lips and or cleft palates they couldnāt speak properly. With surgery they could now go to school without feeling humiliated and being accepted. Families also showed more predilection to their child and believed their child could now get married and have a comfortable life. I think this was a great film to introduce cultural aspects to dental hygiene care.
I agree that the surgery helped shape those childrenās futures. The success of the surgery gave them and their parents hope of marriage and it lifted a difficult burden off their backs. Now that the children fixed their cleft lips, they would go to school and have an education. Hopefully, they would not be bullied because they donāt have their deformity anymore. It is awful how your friend got bullied because of the gap between her upper front teeth.
Manal Elder
Histology & Embryology
DEN 1114-D218
Reflective Writing Assignment: āSmile Pinkiā
Culture is a pattern of ideas, customs and behaviors shared by specific people of society. Health is basically a cultural concept. It shows how we experience and manage health and illness. I believe different cultures view health in different ways; everyone has their own way of dealing with deformities and disabilities. Every culture should be taught to respect other peopleās beliefs and aspects of their faith.
In many cultures, attitude towards a disability may include religious acceptance. As a Muslim, we are taught to assist people in need. My culture believes that deformities and disabilities are caused sometimes by factors such as the past actions of a parent. It is also believed in my culture that when someone has a child that is born with a disability, it is believed that God is testing them to see how much patience they have to take care of that special child. Some parents fail this test and are scared of the responsibility and just walk out of their childās life just like in the video Pinki when that ladyās husband walked out on her and their child. Some people are not grateful for the special things that are given to them. Children of all kind should be loved and cared for the way our beliefs taught us to.
Many cultures including my own believe that the appearance of healthy teeth and gums is not connected to physical appearance in any way. People may have loose teeth, bleeding or swollen gums, but they choose to ignore this because as long as their visible teeth looks fine, they donāt care about the rest of their mouth. My country, which is Palestine, lacks dental shortages, and money places a big role in this. They donāt make much in my country so the cost of care might be too expensive and access of dental insurance back home is limited. I had visited my homeland once and it was pretty obvious that a lot of people over there donāt care about oral hygiene and that oral hygiene is the last thing on their mind.
Some people would try home remedies to stop the tooth pain that they are feeling, but of course when the pain becomes unbearable then that is when they decide that its time for them to pay a visit at the dentist. This is when they start regretting not seeing the dentist in the first place. To me, itās sad when a person allows their teeth to become yellow or even worse, ROT! All because they donāt think that dental hygiene is important. America may have advanced procedures to care for a bad tooth, such as root canals, or get crowns, but they are often for the privilege for wealthy people in other countries. This is the values and beliefs that my culture associates with when it comes to oral health and dentistry.
I believe that physical attractiveness can have a significant effect on how people are judged in terms of friendship, special opportunities, and marriage. There is a phase that I like to follow and it is ādo not mock a pain you havenāt endured
A child with a facial deformity is often bullied or judged. In the video Pinki, I realized that most of the children, who were born with a cleft and were old enough to go to school, either stopped going or never even went in the first place due to their facial deformity. Some of the children including Pinki would be bullied and made fun of by the other children. To me this is unfair. When asked how the surgery that would remove the cleft lip would change their Childās life, most of them had mentioned that child would no longer be made fun of and now would be able to get married in the future. They want nothing but to see their child happy.
Whenever I see a person with some kind of deformity, I immediately feel sympathy for them, because I canāt imagine the struggles they might go through at times. I canāt help but to feel sorry for them. For the past three summers I would work at a kidās amusement park and I would deal with kids of all kinds. But the more I would observe or get to know them; I notice that they donāt see themselves any differently than any other person. It becomes easier for me to overlook appearance once I get to know what kind of person someone is. For me, looks arenāt everything. For an example, a man could be very good looking and a ten in my eyes, but if he has an ugly personality, then he automatically becomes unattractive to me. Whatās important is how the person is on the inside.
I agree with you Manal. Different cultures have different values and beliefs about deformities or disabilities. They have their own code of ethics. Following their mind to do what they think is right or wrong things toward those people with deformities. We are not talking about what we can do for them, but I think that the basic things we can do for them are respect them and treat them equally. However, I always believe that a person’s inside is more important than outside look. Do not let the bright apearance blind your eyes. Beauty of soul is real beauty.
1. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with deformities/disabilities?
I was born and raised in New York but I am Puerto Rican. Growing up, my family never really expressed any cultural beliefs. We practice some cultural traditions and religion but not much else. My parents are very religious so I was always taught not to judge others or treat people with deformities bad. I was sent to catholic school and in religion class, we would read many stories from the bible. There were many stories that spoke about people with diseases who were shunned from society. People would treat them horribly and believed that they were being punished. But then God showed them that they were good people just like them and shouldnāt be treated with such hate. I was taught very young that God is always watching and ādoesnāt like ugly,āmeaning God doesnāt like ugly souls and he knows when you are being genuine. I always think of this when I react to people who are in different situations than me and I should act with a pure heart. In my home, if a child had a disability, they werenāt shunned or treated bad. They were treated with love and care.
2. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with oral health and dentistry?
Like many other Puerto Rican families, I have a lot of brothers and sisters. Since I have nine siblings, there wasnāt always a lot of money to go around. There were many things that always took priority over professional dental care, but when it came to brushing and flossing, my father was very strict. My parents knew that having healthy and white teeth were a very important aspect in ones appearance, but they believed that you didnāt really need a dentist for that. To them, home remedies were just as good as a dental visit. They donāt understand the importance of professional dental care because they were never taught these values.
3. Thinking about facial deformities and personal experiences what does it mean to you to be sensitive to how a person looks (their appearance)?
While watching the video, I couldnāt help but feel sad listening to how those children were teased in school. When I was a child, I had to wear an eye patch and glasses in school to correct my vision. I was teased in school a lot and I never wanted to go back. So when I hear how these children were bullied in school, I can relate to them. You should never treat someone bad because of how they look. They are human beings with feelings just like you and your comments and actions towards them can have a lasting affect on their confidence. You should always treat people the way that you want to be treated.
1. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with deformities/disabilities?
Growing up in the United States, I have been exposed to a culturally diverse society. This diversity has created a culture of tolerance and acceptance which is only strengthening with each new generation. Tolerance and acceptance has gradually turned into awareness campaigns which have been largely successful due to the popularity of social media outlets. Recently, many of these campaigns have turned to tackling the issue of medical awareness and have generated campaigns such as the ice bucket challenge which raised money and awareness for ALS.
Besides for campaigns, social media has generated images and videos of people with deformities and disabilities performing physical and mental feats that the average person may have never thought were possible. This spike in awareness has created a paradigm shift in the way we view deformities and disabilities in society.
Watching this video has hit particularly close to home for me. A close friend of mine recently gave birth to a son with a cleft pallet. At first it was shocking and seemed devastating but I forced myself to reflect on all of the images I have seen and stories I have heard. This reflection was quite easy in light of the awareness that has been imprinted in my brain. Thanks to advances in medical technology, her son was able to receive corrective surgery and is on the way to a full recovery.
2. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with oral health and dentistry?
In a society where medical awareness has been on the rise it is valid to assume that people would be more conscious about their health. The United States is also a society which has been known to glamorize Hollywood actors and in particular their smiles. Large companies, which focus on oral health, have been taking advantage of both of these facts and are using actors and grand advertisements to promote their products. and oral health in general.
To my surprise, despite all of the effort being put in to promoting oral health, many people still suffer from a lack of oral hygiene. I believe that this is in part due to the culture of procrastination that exits in the United States. People may know and understand the need to take care of their mouth but just feel that they can push it off. In comparison, the people of India would gladly take care of their mouths if they could. Once offered the opportunity, Pinki, her father and her uncle walked for three hours just to get the to hospital. Ghutaru’s mother had to borrow some money so that she and her son could get there.
3. Thinking about facial deformities and personal experiences what does it mean to you to be sensitive to how a person looks (their appearance)?
It means a lot to me when people are not being sensitive about another persons appearances. When I was younger I was playing in the playground when all of the sudden I felt a bump to my forehead followed by a sharp pain. Another kid was throwing rocks and accidentally hit me. I had a huge cut and since then have had a noticeable scar. Growing up after that I was teased at school and at times felt like I didn’t belong, like the children in the video that were afraid or embarrassed to go to school. I believe that great care and sensitivity is required when dealing with someone with a deformity or unpleasant appearance. It should be our goal as a society to make everyone feel included and equal.
Fen Fang Huang
DEN 1114 D218
Reflective Writing Assignment– āSmile Pinkiā
9/13/2015
I was born in the countryside area in China. Then I came to this country at the age of fourteen. Some values and beliefs that my culture associates with deformities/disabilities are similar to the ones that are mentioned in the video. According to the āSmile Pinkiā video, Pinkiās father once said that āIf itās(surgery for cleft lip) done, she will be able to live a decent life, and get married one day.ā Also, a lady also tried to convince Ghutaruās mother to accept the invitation to go to the hospital and fix Ghutaruās cleft lip by saying that āGet it fixed. His whole life will be better.ā Similarly, in Chinese culture, many people believe that those individuals with deformities will live a terrible life because it would affect their marriage, school, and socialization, etc. Traditionally, people would not allow their children to marry someone with disability because they consider that as a shame. On the other hand, it is hard for them to attend school because they are labeled as ācrippled and useless.ā Also, many people would not communicate with them or they would even tease them. They are usually hidden at home and being isolated from the society due to the reason that many people donāt view them as normal. Some people would get abortion if they know that the fetus is deformed or they would abandon the child after gave birth to them. This is because they believe that the child would be a burden to them or they feel ashamed to have a child with disability. However, I really appreciate those people who still keep and take care of the child even though they already know that the baby would born with deformity. I knew someone who gave birth to a girl who was born with Down Syndrome. She decided to give birth to the child instead of having an abortion. Now the girl is an adult, she always greets people and she is so kind. There were policies made to protect the rights of those with disabilities. However, discrimination and prejudice against those individuals with deformities is still very common in the society due to the fact that not everyone is obeying and following the ethical standards. Some people think that they like an idiot and donāt know anything. For example, my mother told me that there was a kid who lived in the same village as her, he was sent back home by the teacher because he was disabled. The teacher believed that he was unable to learn in school. This kind of disrespect is depriving their right from getting education. The neglect and negative attitude toward those people with disabilities make them lose self-confidence, self-esteem or even the will to live because they are not getting any support but hurt instead.
On the other hand, in my culture, people also generally donāt value the importance of oral health and dentistry. People donāt pay that much attention on taking care of their teeth. Therefore, many people usually have oral health problems. People believe that they need to see the dentist if only if they are experiencing oral health issues. Oral hygiene is not being emphasized and introduced in the society. The reason is because of the costliness of dental services and the limited education on oral health. Also, preventive oral care is not valued in my culture. I had never heard of dental check-up nor gone to the dental office until I came here at the age of fourteen. Therefore, I was amazed about the emphasis of oral hygiene when I first came here and being informed that we need to get dental check-up every six-month. It made me feel that dental check-up is considered mandatory here but it is such a luxury in China. I still remember the strangeness of my first dental cleaning because I was not used to have it. But I really appreciated the dental service that I received. However, many of my relatives who came from China say that they donāt follow the routine of getting dental check-up and teeth cleanings because they either feel very uncomfortable during the cleaning procedure or believe that dental cleaning would loosen or damage their teeth.
I believe that everyone should be treated equally. Therefore, I strongly disagree with the idea of judging people based on their appearances. There is no relevance and correlation between a personās appearance and quality. We donāt get to know the inside of a person just based on the outside look. The significance is the inside of a person instead of the outside. This video reminds me the importance of providing equal treatment to everyone. It is extremely disrespectful to think someone is āabnormalā just because they have deformities. Everyone deserves equal treatment instead of discrimination. Such as a scripture from the Bible stated āAll things, therefore, that you want men to do to you, you also must likewise do to them.ā (Matthew 7:12) We should treat others the same way as we would like to be treated, regardless of their ethnicity, age, or social status, etc. Just ask ourselves, āHow do I like to be treated if I were the one who has deformities?ā I believe our positive manner will not only give the individuals with deformities encouragement and support, it would also help us to be a more considerate person. As a member of the healthcare team, we also need to apply this value and standard into our practice. At the end of the documentary video, the staff in the hospital encouraged people to send more patients to them because āwithout patients, a hospital is useless.ā I agree with her. What makes a healthcare professionalās job meaningful and rewarding is the ability to care and patientās satisfaction. Thus, treating everyone without any form of discrimination and prejudice is really important.
I definitely agree with you Fen Fang. I try to live by that quote from the bible when I interact with other people. Its horrible when people outcast others with any type of deformities. And how ironic is it that some of your relatives believe that dental cleanings will damage their teeth when in fact it is doing just the opposite? Just like people in my family, they need to be more educated on the importance of dental cleanings and realize how much of an impact it can have on their lives.
1. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with deformities/disabilities?
I was born and raised in Crimea, Ukraine. My parents always taught my brother and me that people with disabilities/deformities are not worse than the rest of us, they are just different. My family always treated handicapped people with courtesy and respect, and helped whenever we could. A big part of the society, on the other hand, was less understanding. Some people were disrespectful and cruel toward people with disabilities. Iāve heard about horrible assaults of disabled people who are unable to protect themselves. I really hope that now people are more understanding toward people with disabilities.
2. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with oral health and dentistry?
The situation in my country is somewhat similar to that in Smile Pinki documentary, a lot of simple diseases/deformities are not treated on time for the lack of knowledge and money. Healthcare system in Ukraine is completely different from healthcare system in the United States. Not enough time and effort is spent for prevention of diseases. I was constantly reminded by my parents to brush my teeth, but I didnāt know about flossing until I moved to United States. People only go to the dentist if they are in too much pain. Often times it is already too late to save the tooth when a patient is seen by the dentist. There are several factors that contribute to this issue, but the most important, in my opinion, is lack of reforms and government funding.
3. Thinking about facial deformities and personal experiences what does it mean to you to be sensitive to how a person looks (their appearance)?
People should not be treated based on how they look. I understand that now, but growing up I remember how my classmates and I bullied on of the teachers because of how she dressed. She was a single mother of two children, worked very hard to provide for them and didnāt have enough money to buy clothes for herself. I wish we could be more understanding at the time. There were also other kids who were bullied just because their parents could not afford to buy new clothes for them.
Many children from Smile Pinki video were not able to go to school at all because of how they were treated based on their deformities. The staff in the hospital are doing an amazing job at helping these children, they change their lives forever.
Amanda Arroyo
Den 1114
D218
Ā
Reflective writing assignment
Smile Pinki
Ā
Ā
Ā
I was born and raised in queens so I grew up in the American culture. I would say the American culture has become more accepting to those with disabilities or deformities. With technology we are more aware of those who have deformities/disabilities, for instance the campaign #wearyellowforseth. Seth, a 5 year old boy has severe combined immunodeficiency disease which is life threatening. He was getting a bone marrow transplant and his parent wanted people to wear his favorite color yellow to support him and this spread nationwide. Many people and celebrities wore yellow to support Seth for his bravery. Just as in the movie āSmile Pinki,ā there were people who donated money to the hospital which allowed the children to get free operations. I feel that the American culture is embracing those who are different and learning how to accept people. As much as people will judge things that are different, I would say the American culture is moving away from that and trying to understand how to help those in need. I was raised to never judge or make fun of those who are different and to see that itās becoming a norm is something magical.
Ā
Oral health is extremely important within the American culture. If you watch TV they have countless commercials about tooth paste and mouth wash that kills germs and keeps your teeth white for 72 hours. From what I remember having white/clean teeth has always been important. My father works in the dental industry, so growing up I learned a lot about dental care. My father always made sure my brothers and I brushed our teeth growing up. When I went to my fatherās job I witness how important it is to take care of your teeth. I saw many people from various countries visiting my fatherās job to get dental treatment, so I knew from there that a lot of people take oral health seriously.
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I understand why the parents in āSmile Pinkiā were concerned about their childrenās future because oral health is a first impression. As much as the American culture or any culture for that matter tries to say donāt judge a book by its cover thatās not always the case. For Pinki parents to guarantee her a bright future they walked 3 hours just to get to the hospital to make sure she can have a bright future. So I believe that appearance is everything. We unconsciously judge based on appearance and that determines what you think about the person. For the hospital to give free operations to those children to be in good health, I think that is so amazing. Oral health is a sensitive topic because itās something that is judged. Everyone that I know is trying to perfect their teeth and now itās possible to have fake teeth just in case the real ones donāt work out.
Having clean teeth is viewed on how a person takes care of themselves and is very important. I havenāt personally dealt with any facial deformities in my life, but I know since I am into the dental industry Iām going to be exposed to variety of things. I understand people donāt always get dental care because they donāt want to be judged, so once I deal with these situations Iām going to make sure that the person doesnāt feel uncomfortable. Ā Ā
I agree with Amanda that appearance is everything, although we don’t like to say that I believe it’s true. Appearance isn’t only how you look but I feel like it’s also the way someone carries him or herself. I was also very touched with the parents in the smile pinki video, I think they had to build up lots of courage to go through with the surgeries.
Ziyoda Aglyamova DEN 1114- 218
Assignment ā Smile Pinki
Having seen the video āSmile Pinkiā, my feelings are totally changed about the people who live in India and people who live in an inadequate condition all over the world. In spite of having big families, surviving under unsatisfactory living conditions and financial hardship – people never stop thinking about creating bright future for their children. They may not eat well but feed their kids well, they may be uneducated but try to give education to their children, in one word, people who tasted life hardships, never wish to see their kids in their condition. The family of Pinki and other families were afraid of going outside and felt shame of their appearance. Nevertheless, they had to go the doctor but stayed at home, hided themselves from being seen by people. Nowadays almost everything became possible, advanced technology is busy with taking care of deformities and returning smile and happiness to hopeless, stressed people. This shows that society wants to make changes and support all the kids with a deformity as well. I was born and raised in a sunny country Uzbekistan, where people totally donāt like criticizing people with disabilities and deformities in public. But there are two judgments about them: one is misfortune (as if God gives punishment by giving abnormal kids to punish parents for their sins) and another one is effect of some disease transfer from ancestors. For that reason, before getting married parents analyze seven ancestorsā history of bride or groom families. In addition, there are special schools for disabled children, thatās why we cannot see them anywhere unless we visit them.
Nowadays, oral health care and dentistry are considered one of the important branches of human well being. In my country having strong and healthy teeth is the main concern of people than ever. Before they used to go to dental checkups only when they had pain on their teeth. But they kept feeding us calcium, vitamin D and other supplementary (through fresh fruits and vegetables) which helped us to have strong teeth. Moreover, oral health and dentistry is really important to me and to my family as well. When I was a little kid, my parents used to take me to the dentist every 6 months. Even though I was really afraid of the doctors, I had to go with them to check-up and make sure everything is fine. I had braces when I was a young, even though it was uncomfortable, it helped me a lot to make my teeth straight. Till this time, I am so thankful to my parents for helping me having straight, beautiful teeth so I should not worry about my teeth when talk in front of my friends.
I come across with abnormal appearances ever since I became able to distinguish normal and abnormal human beings. When I was a young girl, meeting abnormal face meant something horrible, and I reacted to them by crying and leaving that place as fast as I could. But with time I made myself heedless toward any kind of deformed people. Because I thought my facial expression might send unpleasant message to those kind of people, I tried to respect their feeling and tried not to hurt them. Nowadays when I meet facial deformities I act in a way as if I donāt care their abnormal face, and try to help them if they need my help like taking on/off transports, at groceries, at malls. From my point of view, humanās physical abnormality is not a barrier of being equally respected member of the society.
I was born in America but my family are originally from Taiwan. Taiwan is a small island off the coast of China. Growing up in America my parents still preserved many traditional views from when they were living in Taiwan. I didnāt think of any of these views were strange until my older sister was pregnant, my mother had told her not to lift heavy objects, donāt nail things and to use a scissor. With my limited medical knowledge I was able to understand why my mom advised my sister not to lift or move heavy objects, I remember that it could possibly cause miscarriages or other complications with the pregnancy. What I did not understand was why she could not hammer nails or use a scissor. My mother explained to me that if a pregnant woman used hammer to nail something the baby may be born with holes on his or her body and the scissors would cause cleft lip or something similar. This was like belief that was passed down from my grandmother to my mother and might have even further in the past.
Another way of life that confused me as a child was oral health. I do remembering the dentist as least once a year since I was a child and I believe I have good teeth. I thought since I always had healthy teeth my family did too. As I grew older and started to work at a dental office where my family became my patient I realized I was wrong. My mother although she visits the dentist every 6 months she doesnāt have the best oral health, itās not because she doesnāt keep up with her oral hygiene but because of the lack of knowledge and care of her teeth when she was living in Taiwan. My mother grew up in Taiwan and lived there the majority of her life, people who grew up around the time of the 1950s in Taiwan do not value oral. I think people are my motherās age believed that if it did not hurt they would not have to see a dentist. The only time they would think oral hygiene and oral health is important is when something is hurting. They do not realized the important of teeth and other structures inside their mouth. But I think that in the past few years there was a change, it seems that due to the influence of Western culture and values people are starting to value oral hygiene an oral health.
Oral hygiene and oral health is sometimes not something a person can choose, like in the video of smile pinki. Those children did not choose to have poor oral hygiene but was a result of the circumstance they were born with. Watching the smile pinki video made me very emotional, I felt sympathetic to the children who have cleft lips. They were afraid to go to school because the other children would make fun of them and because they were not able to talk. I remember hearing the parents and family friends mention multiple times about marriage. They mentioned that if the children had this corrective surgery done, it would be easier for them to find a husband or a wife in the future, it would give them a better opportunity at marriage. I feel like I can tell myself to be sensitive to others appearances by not judging but I never know what is better: looking or avoid looking at them. If I look, will they feel like Iām judging them? Or if I donāt look will they think she thinks Iām a monster and doesnāt want to look at me. I’m still learning of how to act so that hurt someone’s feelings.
Nicole Cartselos
Written Assignment- “Smile Pinki”
Having been born and raised in the melting pot of the world, also known as the United States, many of us have been conditioned from an early age to accept and respect every individual for who they are on the inside, and not how they look on the outside. Because we are surround by thousands of people who look and act differently than us every day, I believe that the people of this culture are more accepting than many other cultures around the world. Unlike the thousands of children in the āSmile Pinkiā video that had spent a portion of their lives living with facial deformities, In the United States, many of these deformities and disabilities are assessed and addressed immediately after birth due to the advanced resources we have available to us. In the video, the parents of these children had many of same concerns for their childās future. Although we might see some of these same concerns for those with deformities and disabilities here in the United States, they are blessed with many more opportunities, than anywhere else in the world. Most children in the āSmile Pinkiā video had stopped attending school because of their deformities for multiple reasons. Many of these children had trouble speaking due to their cleft lip, which made it very difficult to learn. Fortunately, all children in the United States have the right to receive highest quality of education that is suitable for their needs, no matter the situation.
In the United States, I would say that oral hygiene and dental care is considered an important aspect of a personās overall health. Because most people are provided insurance through their job, or the government to cover basic and preventative dental needs, oral health is seen as easily accessible. For as long as I can remember, me, my mother and siblings have seen a dentist every six months for our routine check-up and cleanings, and have gotten our dental needs taken care of in a timely manner. On the other hand, my father, who is of Greek decent, had always refused to see the dentist because he believed it was a waste of time. My father would only visit the dentist if he were experiencing pain. After many years, I had learned that most family members on my fatherās side had also only seen a dentist if they were experiencing excruciating pain. I was shocked to learn many of my family members had numerous dental problems, and that it all traced back to my grandparents. My grandparents, who were born and raised in Greece, had only brought their children to the dentist if a problem arose, and I am confident that their parents did the same with them, if not less because of the circumstances they faced in Greece during that era.
As the expression goes, āDonāt judge a book by its coverā. I have always believed that it is important to be sensitive to how a person looks. Those with deformities and disabilities are aware of their issues, and have to personally deal with them on a daily basis. As a bystander, you are never sure of what hardships that individual has faced or overcome in their past to get to where they are now. It is truly about what is on the inside that matters most. Many people with deformities or disabilities have doubts about their futures. But, over the past decade we have seen many athletes with missing limps succeed, and young adults with autism or Aspergerās syndrome become famous for their talents. All in all, this video has made me think deeper into how cultures around the world view and treat deformities, and has made me even more excited to get into the field of dental hygiene and help those in need of a better smile.
I have the same experience with my father too. He too wouldn’t go to the dentist until he finally can’t bear the pain. I think man are more expected to repress the pain as a dominant figure to support the family. They are more likely to think of getting the medical treatment as weaknesses. Also, I agree to your belief to not to judge a book by its cover. It is true that you never know what an individual is going through and what kind of person they are inside.
I do agree people with disabilities/deformities have a lot more options in this country, however I feel that in this country we tend to alienate these people from our society. From a young age there are special classes and do not interact a lot with the rest of the school.
Shi Y Zhang
Den 1114- D218
Simile Pinki
1. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with deformities/ disabilities?
I was born in an urban city called Guangzhou, in china and my family came from a Buddhist background. Buddhism and Chinese culture are deeply intertwined. If a child is born with deformities/disabilities in the family, it is believed to be a return from bad deeds that they have committed in the past (karma). In some rural areas, they believed the child was possessed by evil, or the family didnāt worship on a regular basis and therefore it is a result of godās punishment. Chinese people have very high expectation (pride) for their children, especially the male child in the family. Situation like Ghutaru will be considered a shame in the Chinese family, but he will have a higher chance to correct it surgically. Therefore, he can attend school and have his children. On the other hand, Pinki will not be recognized and treated as a burden for the family. Traditionally in Chineseās culture, female should fulfil their duties such as getting marry and have children.
2. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with oral health and dentistry?
The idea of oral healthcare is not emphasized in china at all. The majority of people in china lack oral health education and awareness. Most oral health information is received from television or newspapers advertisement on dental products. There is very limited oral health education in school as well and many children suffering from cavities at a very young age. The brushing song (a nursery rhyme) was introduced when I first attended kindergarten, and my mother would sing it with me every time before I brush my teeth. As a child, I was told not to tell lies or your ābig teethā (molars) will be missing. During the period of my mixed dentition, most of my teeth are removed by myself or with the help of my mother. In Chinese culture, it is not necessary to go for checkups unless there are symptoms of discomforts. They also believed losing teeth natural and āold ageā is the major cause of tooth loss. Moreover, the use of toothpicks after meals is a common phenomenon. Many Chinese family uses salt water or tea as oral rinse, they believed that can improve bleeding gums and oral inflammation. My grandmother will also put her denture in a cup of salt water and leave it overnight. Elder generation will rather seeks traditional Chinese doctors for herbal medicine than visit for dental treatments. These traditional oral health behaviors and attitudes are passed on from one generation to the next. Oral health awareness should be emphasized and the message need to be spared across the country.
3. Thinking about facial deformities and personal experiences what does it mean to you to be sensitive to how a person looks (their appearance)?
I grew up in a place where I were drastically different from everyone around .When I first moved to the United States, my family stayed in a town in Arkansas. At that time, we were the only Asian family in town. Children in school treated me different because I looked different or spoke a different language. Some of the kids will question the color of my skin and my language. At first, I thought they were being friendly and wanting to play with me. Then I realized they were just making jokes about me. By the time I realized, I feel ashamed and embarrassed. I also started to feel I am an outcast in this country. Facial deformity is a way people are different and it is okay to be different. Living in a diverse country taught me how to be sensitive to all different forms. Facial deformity could be a cleft lip, crooked teeth or even acne, but that doesnāt measure one’s beauty, personality, and overall goodness as a human being. The Smile Pinik documentary is truly an inspiration and it brought awareness to our unconscious behaviors that can result in prejudice and discrimination.
Azka Zafar
D218
Having a Pakistani background exposed me to a different world opposed to my American upbringing. Growing up in a culture where it is engrained in an individual to treat everyone equally, traveling to Pakistan and witnessing such a different dynamic was quite shocking. In Pakistan, due to the socioeconomic conditions, the population is divided in to an upper class (that is more westernized) and a lower class. Unfortunately, as Pakistan is a developing country, the lower class represents the majority of the population. Education is not common in the working class, making the literacy rate quite low, therefore people are still rooted in archaic ideologies. Culturally a deformity or a disability is considered either a punishment or a test of patience from God. Any abnormality that may result is blamed on the mother, whether itās having too many daughters or a child with a disability. As a result, women are constantly worried about the quality of life their child will lead, as shown in the video. Due to the lack of education amongst the common population in countries like Pakistan and India, it is not understood that deformities are not a result of āeclipsesā or sent down as a punishment/test from God. For this reason, unfortunately, people with deformities are treated like lesser beings or even as āmonstersā by everyone, including their own families. They are considered a burden on the family, and in most cases are sent to work as domestic servants at a young age or abandoned altogether.
Another drawback of living in third world country is the lack of importance given to healthcare, especially oral health. Dentists are considered lower in rank compared to medical doctors. There was even a time when local barbers would perform dental treatments, such as extractions on patrons. Because survival is priority, providing basic needs such as food, water, and shelter come before non-necessity items like toothpaste, toothbrushes and floss. A cheaper substitute called āmiswakā (a little wooden stick) is used to clean ones teeth in the place of a toothbrush.
Due to a lack of knowledge of oral health, there are several superstitions towards dental care. Some of these include the belief that pulling teeth causes vision loss resulting in patients refusing dental treatment. The lack of education on oral health has resulted in much apprehension and fear in the population and in the refusal to receive dental treatment even when available.
After watching āSmile Pinkieā I asked my mother about her experiences growing up in Pakistan. She believes that what the video portrays is a very small piece of the reality people live through every day. She stated that even to this day, she knows some individuals who believe in superstitions such as the one regarding eclipses as seen in the video. In fact, one of her friends has a grandchild with autism and she believes it is due to her daughter leaving the house for an emergency during an eclipse. Another interesting story was of a girl who was born with a very dark birthmark that covered most of her face, and because of this her family was told that she was bad luck for them. Unfortunately it is human nature to judge a person prematurely based on their looks, leaving those on the receiving end feeling inadequate. Growing up, even I was teased for having ābuckā teeth, and upon getting braces I became ātrain trackā mouth. I was sick of being defined by my teeth! I didnāt choose to not have a perfect smile and it used to upset my mother when she saw the toll it had taken on me. Luckily orthodontia existed and there was a solution to my problem, but there are many others out there for whom this does not hold true. I was saddened to hear my motherās accounts because we live in a society where everything is fixable due to the resources available to us, but not everyone has that luxury. If we all remembered we didnāt choose to be this way, maybe we could be more sympathetic towards others. I believe that people should not be treated or looked at any differently because of their appearances, appearances do not define an individual. At the end of the day beauty truly comes from within, and the most beautiful quality a person may possess is how well they treat others.
Watching the documentary Smile Pinky, which was not made to show case glamour but the reality and hardships of a different culture. The popular culture in America today has a recurring theme that appearance is the thing we should strive for. However this thinking is the leading cause of dissatisfaction. We are made to believe that the beautiful people we see in magazines and television is how everyone should look, so how can we accept someone that looks different? This obsession with appearance has had one positive turn, people care more about their oral health and their health in general. This turnaround did not unfortunately happen because people are better educated, however it happened due to our obsession of appearance. Working in the dental field for 12 years I have been able to be a part of this change, people come in every 6 months for their cleaning because people want their teeth to be to societyās satisfaction. Right now I work in a pediatric office and a mother came in with her 14 year old daughter who was in the entertainment industry and the color of her enamel was very yellow. She asked us if we could bleach her daughters teeth because her peers were making fun of her and she was not getting booked for jobs. This sadden me because this obsession is teaching even our younger generation to not except someone due to yellow teeth, how are they going to except a child with a cleft lip? There are many disabled and disfigured people in America and many face discrimination on a regular basis which takes many forms. Very few employers hire disabled and disfigured people as they are considered more of a liability than an asset in the organization. However, these fears are completely unfounded.In fact, there are many cases of how different personalities have done themselves proud by being their own bosses. Their success stories include those how run their own business such as shops, restaurants, handicraft centers. In addition to those who have become teachers and professionals through sheer hard work and determination. Many have even become successful sports persons participating in Paralympics Games and winning medals. It is foolish to think that only physically able people can make one’s country and nation proud.
1. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with deformities/disabilities?
I was born and raised in South Korea until the age 9, when my family moved to United States. With the knowledge in my background of South Korean and Presbyterian, I wondered whether my community and country treated the issue of deformities and disabilities any differently from people in India as seen on the video, āSmile Pinki.ā
South Korea is about the size of the state of New York with about 2.5 times more population. Tall apartments with 20 to 30 floors are common due to lack of land space and concentrated population. You can reach anywhere in South Korea roughly within one day. Also, Korea has 98% literacy rate and has the fastest Internet speed in the world. Therefore, exchange of information, ideas, news and trends is extremely quick and it is the top priority for people to do things that everyone does, thinks, wear, gossip, and to be within the majority. The reason why plastic surgery is such a popular matter in Korea is that people judge your outward appearances and highly coincide it with your ability and your personality. When I visit my relatives in Korea, they will constantly remind me to lose weight, get skin treatment, get my hair done, and wear more popular clothes. What school and company one attends or works for is another very important quality for Koreans. My grandmother will actually tell me to tell her friends that I am in a dental school rather than preparing to become a dental hygienist. I was surprised that they wouldnāt accept me as the way I am. They will consider it as a defect and try to fix it or cover it up. It is rather hard to find any people with deformities or disabilities in the public street. If any one with such a noticeable feature is present, people will instantly begin to stare and either treat one with sympathy as a ānormalā person, or as an unpleasant sight that they find someone abnormal to be around. Parents with deformed child will do anything they can to find the solution to make the child have normal life in any expenses. Nowadays, the acceptance to untreatable disabilities is more common than before but it is still more ignorant than a warm attention.
2. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with oral health and dentistry?
In South Korea, a lot of older generations went through a lot of hardships through wars and poverty. They are accustomed to enduring the pain and thinks that it is unnecessary luxury to take extra care of their health. I work in a dentist office in a Korean-American community and most of the older people will come by the time when it is too late to keep their teeth. Most of them wouldnāt go to the dentist regularly and end of extracting teeth and replace with dentures which could have been easily prevented with a treatment at a right time. More and more, younger generations are aware that they may be living a longer life and it is important to take care of their oral health. For younger generations, aesthetic portion of the dentistry is an important aspect so the Orthodontic braces, Invisalign, and Veneers are popular.
3. Thinking about facial deformities and personal experiences what does it mean to you to be sensitive to how a person looks (their appearance)?
In my culture, I learned that it is not polite to look at people who have deformities. However, it is really hard not to look at or talk about it with others. In my high school year, there was a girl with half of the face deformed. The skin was bright red and bumpy. Her eye and lips on the deformed half of the face was larger than the other. I remember at first it was shocking but I tried not to treat her differently because of that. When friends were talking about her, the deformity was never the issue. We all treated her equally. I truly believe the beauty is within and despite the fact that it is really hard not to look at people with deformities, we have to try to make them feel equal as possible.