D219 (Tues 2PM)

64 Responses to D219 (Tues 2PM)

  1. Arika says:

    What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with deformities/disabilities?
    I am from Bangladesh where we share similar values and beliefs as the people in India.Since Bangladesh is a third world country, most of the population is poor and education is not accessible. You already make the assumption how difficult it must be to provide a child with disabilities with a proper learning environment. These kids will get teased or their parents just feel embarrassed to send them to school. When a child is born with a deformity, often it’s blamed on the mother. The community assumes she has committed a sin. The concept of that child becoming a burden for the family is very likely. For instance, if it is a girl with a disability, she won’t find a hand in marriage and her parents must take care of her for the rest of her life. She won’t be able to live a “normal” life.
    2.What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with oral health and dentistry?
    My grandparents did not use toothpaste and a toothbrush to take care of their teeth. There is this a neem bark that is used to brush each tooth and is bitten on. Bengali people chew on something called paan similar to the way we chew on gum. The only difference is that paan is very harmful for our teeth.The people living rural areas can’t afford dental care more or less there isn’t a nearby clinic to visit. Unfortunately, having healthy teeth is not a priority. However, having beautiful teeth helps in terms of getting a hand in marriage. My parents actually chew paan often and now my father has very small red toned incisors. He has lost a few of his teeth and his gums are very much inflamed. I think having beautiful appearing teeth is directly associated with being wealthy. Now, in Bangladesh we have toothpaste but I know poor families can’t afford for such luxury.

    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 have a few friends that have siblings with down syndrome. These kids are so kind and I don’t know how anyone can have it in them to bully or abuse them. Child or adult, it was no one’s choice to have deformities.I don’t want someone with any form of deformity to feel like they do not belong. Sometimes you can’t change the “problem” but you don’t have to look at it as an issue. We are all human which makes us imperfect. Like that saying goes, “Treat others the way you’d like to be treated!”

    • JuditSZP says:

      Arika, I agree with you a hundred percent, treat others the way you’d like to be treated. Every individual is unique, which makes the human race beautiful.

    • I find that very interesting, the way your parents clean their teeth. Even now they are still chewing on the paan. Very interesting.

      • that’s very interesting that your grandparents would chew on neem bark to clean there teeth. also having beautiful teeth helps a hand in marriage in your culture the first thing I look at with everyone is there teeth !!! besutiful teeth makes a beautiful smile 🙂 very interesting ! nice post

        • Arika says:

          Thank you everyone! Marriage is big deal in my culture, sort of mandatory in a way. For women looks and being able to do domestic chores are important since education past high school is not valued there. Which of course is unfortunate..

    • Abeer says:

      In my country we also have the same problem that most people blame the mothers who have disabled children. They look to those mothers as they make crime and caused these deformities to their children. As a result of that, some of the husbands begin to look for other woman and divorce the previous one. The other problem for disabled females is also similar to what Bengali females face. Disabled girls in my country are not also be able to have a normal life. They stay with their families and depend on them for rest of their life.

    • ZhengDao says:

      The way your grandparents clean their teeth is very interesting. I would like to do more research on that. I totally agree with you with “treat others the way you’d like to be treated”.

  2. San Chan says:

    1. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with deformities/disabilities?
    Growing up in a developed city (Macau) with legacy thoughts, deformities or disabilities are not words that people want to talk about, or to mention it in any way. When a young child (me) asked why a man has an arching spine, my parents did not have a proper response. They urged me not to ask questions about it. Because Macau is not a society that opens to deformities/disabilities, I hardly see people with disabilities on the street. About ten years ago before my grandmother passed away, she needed a cane to assist her walking, but her cane was laying in her room all along. She preferred using an umbrella instead because she did not want people to think that she was disable.
    In the situation like Pinki, the older generations would blame on the mother that she might have done something that she was not supposed to do during pregnancy. For instance, in the Chinese tradition, pregnant women cannot do sewing, or use scissors, as well as nailing anything on the wall, or knock on metals. Some families will choose abortion if they know that the fetus have cleft lip, some may give up the babies to children agencies.

    2. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with oral health and dentistry?
    In the Chinese society, people generally do not take care of their teeth. People in Macau probably never had their teeth clean, or even to see a dentist. For example, my uncle lost several of his teeth probably caused by smoking which lead to periodontal disease, but he did not want to visit a dentist to resolve the problem because he believes that people will lose their teeth eventually anyway when they age. The education about oral health is very limited in the society. Our dentists only treat people who have toothache because it is the only reason when people visit a dentist. And because dentist only treat the oral area, their social ranking is lower than other medical doctors, thus, dentists are not considered as a doctor in the past days. However, in the recent five to ten years, we pay more attention to the teeth. One of the reasons is for the appearance. People would want to look like the celebrities as they always have beautiful white teeth when they appear on the television. The government provides more resource to the citizen. People receive a few hundred dollars of “medical coupon” yearly for them to spend on their medical needs, which they can also use for teeth cleaning by a dentist. Yet, there are a lot of people who still avoid having their teeth cleaned because they see bleeding gum and feeling that the space in between teeth is wider afterward, which make them believe that scaling would damage their teeth.

    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 always say that “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. I believe that judging a person by his/her looks is unfair to the person, it’s more like a kind of discrimination. The appearance does not determine the ability of what a person can achieve, Stephen Hawking is an excellent example. Therefore, a person’s looks is just a cover that wraps what’s important inside, we should explore the inside of a person, and there are beauty inside that we cannot see by glancing the cover.

    • Arika says:

      The superstition of not using scissors is also true in my culture! Isn’t it crazy our appearance is so important even if it’s a medical or non medical? Education on dental health should be emphasized. An educated public would help decrease the fear of treatment.

  3. AYMAN MOUSA says:

    Your blog about Bangladesh is declaring the same situation in both India and Egypt, where I’m from. Poverty is their problem not the disease itself because we are all exposed to diseases but there is medicine or surgeries to treat those diseases. Unfortunately, people’s income is very low to the point that they can’t afford a dentist or a surgery and also some countries are too poor to offer free surgeries or even medicine. Furthermore, in Egypt people with deformities are not even able to find a job in the society and their rights are also ignored. Also, children are forced to leave school and hide in their houses. As a matter of fact, a disable person can’t even receive some respect from others like he/she is not worth respect. What a poor world we live in these days that morals and manners need to be taught in schools instead of something we should’ve risen up with.

  4. Yana says:

    1. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with deformities/disabilities?
    I am from St. Petersburg Russia. Living in a large city, the culture as I remember was very similar to that of United States. For example, in order to get into first grade I remember taking an assesment exam. Kids with or without disabilities were allowed to take the exam. Everyone had a chance at a traditional education. Many parents do whatever it takes to “fix” their child if something is not right. I had a speech impediment when I was little, and my parents sent me to a speech therapist every week untill I spoke clearer. Deformities and disabilities are not taken lightly Russia. It use to be very common to put a disabled child into an orphanage, but that has changed over the years.

    2.What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with oral health and dentistry?
    Oral health has always been important when I was growing up in Russia. I remember my mom teaching me how to brush my teeth. I hated brushing my teeth because we used this unflavored powder. We brushed morning and night. The culture of oral hygiene greatly increased in the past 20 years. There are now many accessable products that people can use for oral hygiene. Dentistry pays very well and it is very common in Russia. Russians have a right for free medical/ dental insurance. Russian dentists usually try to fix the problem, but some corrupt private dentists will wait unill the problem gets worse and manipulate their patients towards extractions and prosthetics, which is more expensive for the patient.

    3.Thinking about facial deformities and personal experiences what does it mean to you to be sensitive to how a person looks (their appearance)?
    Allthough my culture tries to be perfect, I know from my experiences, no one is perfect. Some people are less perfect than others. I believe that it is what’s inside that matters. One of my best friends has strabismus. As soon as I met her 11 years ago, we became best friends. I would not trade her for the world. One day she was ready to talk about it. She asked me if I think she should get surgery, and I told her only if it bothers her because her family and I love her no matter what, and I told her that her abnormality is really not a big deal at all. The variation in people is what makes us all beautiful and unique.

    • JuditSZP says:

      Yana, we have similar issues in Hungary as well. Health insurance only covers certain basic procedures. Dentists in some cases mistreat patients, so their oral health worsens and they have to pay extra for further ,more complex treatments.

    • Lijing Chen says:

      Yana, In my homeland China, there are no medical/ dental insurance, and dental treatments are very expensive. By the way, you remind me that when I was a kid, my mom teaching me how to brush teeth, I always play with the water and never brush my teeth properly. Lol.

  5. 1. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with deformities/disabilities?
    As an American my culture does not completely view deformities and disabilities in a life debilitating issue. Now a days there are many ways to prevent children from having disabilities from tests that can be conducted when the baby is in the womb. If there is nothing that can be done there are many forums to go to, to learn more on a deformity or disability. Yes, the American culture feels empathy for people with these disabilities and some bully others because of them but in America, for the most part, we try not to discriminate and people with these issues. A majority of people with deformities are capable of living normal lives with normal jobs. Luckily, in America we have the means to help people with deformities and disabilities through proper medical care. For example, cleft lip is a deformity that is very popular throughout the world. In the American culture there are always commercials raising awareness along with money for cleft lip in our nation and in other countries that can’t afford the procedures for their children, just like how people donated to the hospital where Pinki and the other children got their surgeries.
    2. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with oral health and dentistry?
    In the American culture there is a mix of how serious individuals think of oral health and dentistry. For example my mom would always take me and my sisters to the dentist every six months. If we ever had an issue with our oral health she would take us to the correct dentist and get our issue solved immediately. Although my parents were very keen on taking us children to the dentist, they didn’t do their follow ups as often as they should. My parents are both terrified of the dentist so they did what they could at home so they didn’t have to go. My dad always believed that brushing twice a day and using Listerine mouth wash would help out enough so he didn’t have to go. Unlike us children who go regularly, he has not been to the dentist in over 10 years and because of that, as far as we know his teeth are not in the best physical condition. With that, although we may have always went to the dentist but we wouldn’t always listen to their advice. My sisters and I knew we should floss and brush our teeth twice a day but as children we were lazy and never did until we were older and truly understood how important it is.
    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 this day and age we all look different from one another, therefore whether a person has a facial deformity or not everyone should be sensitive to how another looks. This means to me, that no one should be looked at negatively for being “different.” As a whole we should not treat someone who has a facial disability any different as we would treat our neighbor or friend. One day I sat down to watch television, a segment came on about a woman named Lizzie Velasquez who has a rare congenital disease that prevents her from gaining body fat. She was talking about how people called her “the ugliest woman in the world” because she has this disease that deformed her body to the point where she doesn’t look like an average person, but she is just an average person. She wakes up every morning does her hair and makeup, reads, writes, eats, she feels happiness and sadness along with anger and fear just like you and I. Therefore, she shouldn’t be bullied because she doesn’t fit into the status quo of looks. I thought she was as beautiful as the heavy set woman interviewing her and she is just as normal and as beautiful as my little sister. Everyone should view others as the same and be sensitive to how all people look whether they have a deformity/disability or not. We are all humans and if it was someone you love with this deformity wouldn’t you want others to treat and look at them the same way as they would to you.

    • i agree with you we should treat other people as we want other to treat us. I saw a video too about Lizzie Velasquez on The Doctor. she is amazing and inspiring person. it makes me cry to see how she was treated by another people. however, she overcame all those obstacles now she is happy and even more beautiful.

    • Rana says:

      Coming to America I learned how oral health is important, where I came from people don’t even go to regular check ups. I absolutely agree with you about how people should treat one another equally and it isn’t right to tare others down.

  6. AYMAN MOUSA says:

    DEN1114
    Prof. Bilello
    Ayman Mousa
    “Smile Pinki” Assignment

    I came from an Egyptian background where our social culture and beliefs differ from many other countries. The disabled population in Egypt is a considerable minority about 10% of the Egyptian population. Also, people with disabilities are marginalized and their rights are completely ignored by all the politicians, especially the last regime. A person with a disability in Egypt is a person without a future like in India. In terms of income, a person with a disability main issue is poverty not the medicine since poverty is the primary barrier to treatment. Sometimes they are too poor to afford a surgery and the hospitals in Egypt are too poor to offer free medication or surgeries to the point that if there is an emergency the patient can’t be treated until he/she pays the hospital or the doctor first. Briefly, the patient just has to face a severe hardship and life-long suffering.

    Now, what is the social impact on disabled citizens? People with disabilities in Egypt are in the same situation like Indians in the documentary “Smile Pinki” are unable to whether participate in the society or find jobs. They remain culturally stigmatized as they have to stay hidden in their houses which disconnect them emotionally and physically from the society. Also, children are not allowed to go to school on top of that the way the society treat and discriminate against them is legally and morally unacceptable.

    Unfortunately, the oral health status in Egypt is very bad since there is a high rate of the population that doesn’t even brush and there is a distinct lack of policy on prevention in oral health. Again, because the dental treatments are very expensive and people’s income is very low, they can’t even afford teeth whitening.
    “Nearly 70% of examined children had some untreated caries experience; meanwhile, 80% were suffering from some form of periodontal disease. Diabetics and smokers were at a higher risk to develop gingival and periodontal problems. Minimal attention is being paid to primary prevention both on individual and professional levels. 77% of the examined individuals do not brush their teeth on a regular basis, 38% have never brushed their teeth, and only 48% use toothpaste. On a professional level, more than 85% of subjects had not been shown proper techniques of tooth brushing by dental professionals, a service which should be offered routinely to all people either on individual or community basis.”

    Two days I could never forget, the first was the day that my mother’s smile was buried due to supernumerary teeth which are extra permeant teeth. My family decided to take her to a dentist. We were told that she would need a dental procedure in which the dentist decided that instead of treating her ailment, it would be more of convenience for him to perform five extractions. Not only was this procedure of great physical discomfort, her socio-emotional and physiologist state became distressed greatly over the years to come. From this day on, I have witnessed my mother constantly covering her mouth whenever she would smile. She would prefer smirking instead of making her teeth visible. Due to her low self-esteem, she would avoid social interaction; which pained me to see her not being able to associate with me in gatherings. No matter how pleasant the gathering was, I never forgot the fact that my mother could not enjoy it.

    A couple of years later came the day that my mother’s life was turned around. She finally admitted to the family that she would like to undergo a restorative dental procedure. Thus, we helped her to research clinics that offered to make the procedure. When her smile was finally restored to her, my family watched my mother smile, which was something that was hidden from us. With the recovery of her smile, I saw almost an instantaneous change in her behavior. She started to be more outgoing, and improved confidence. Consequently, through my observation of the impact of the treatment on her mentality and her morale, my appreciation for the dentistry field was kindled.

    That was the reason why I applied for this program. Since I believe that nobody should undergo the same hardship that my mother went through, I asked my dentist if I can shadow him to gain insight into the everyday activities and responsibilities of a dental professional. Throughout my shadowing experience, I was exposed to a wide range of dental procedures ranging from dental restoration procedures to endodontic procedures. With each procedure observed, my respect for the profession grew. I noticed that the patients who came with a distressed expression, left with smiles and signs of relief on their faces. Hence, I became convinced that dentistry is a field that I would be able to pursue my passions in. Aside from the gratification obtained from alleviating patients, both the extensive doctor-patient relationship and the team based environment appealed to me. My experience there enhanced my belief that the quality of patient care is affected by the harmony between the elements contributing.

    In conclusion, I believe that the extent of doctor-patient relationship indicates the quality of the patient care provided, for if the doctor regards the ailments only as needing care, and not the person as a whole, then the quality of the care is bound to be diminished. Going back to my mother’s experience, she was not provided with the optimal care that I feel that every patient deserves. I believe that the doctor should develop a personal relationship with the patient in order to recognize early on possible risk factors that the patient might develop to some treatments. Also, establishing a smooth atmosphere would help ensure the patient’s comfort.

    • I am truly sorry for what your mother had to go through…
      Every healthcare professions have ethical duties that they need to perfrom for their patients. The most important thing is to put patients first in any situation. In order to do that, they will always have to remember the core values: how to respect, how to be genuine, how to precede, form a trusting bond and have justice & fairness. I hope that every dental hygiene students will become a respectful healthcare professions toward our patients!!!!!

  7. Katherine Martinez 09/13/15
    DEN 1114 Prof. Bilello
    Writing assignment

    1. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with deformities/disabilities?

    I am from Ecuador, a country located in South America. The most common deformities or disabilities are Down’s syndrome and polydactyl. It is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 21 (or part thereof) instead of the usual two. It is characterized by a variable degree of mental retardation and peculiar physical features. I remembered when I was a child living in Ecuador, my mother’s best friend gave birth to a child with Down’s syndrome. His name is David. I was only 8 years old when I met him and he was around 5.At first, I was scared because he has way different facial features than a normal kid. Also, he didn’t speak well according to the age he had around that time. When we played together I couldn’t understand what he was saying. And he always laughed for everything without reason. I was concerned about this deformity with no idea of why this kid was born like that. My mother always told me that they are special children. Over there, everyone refers to kids with Down’s syndrome as “special children.” They even have a specific school and special treatment for these kids. A belief that my culture has referring to these children is that they are even smarter than a regular kid. According to studies there is no cure for this syndrome, only treatments. I mean it is reasonable since Ecuador is a country with necessities and no advanced systems.

    Polydactyl is a genetic disorder where is born with more fingers in the hand or foot that they share. It may be caused by a chromosomal aberration. I have a cousin with this disorder. She has 6 toes instead of 5 in her feet. Her extra toe is located between her 4th toe and pinky toe. She doesn’t wear sandals because she feels embarrassed. The only cure for this deformity is a plastic surgery.

    2. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with oral health and dentistry?

    My culture’s value and belief that associates with oral health and dentistry are the idea to brush your teeth 3 times a day and teach children the importance of dental hygiene. Every family should teach their children how to brush their teeth by the age of 2. I remembered when I was a little girl running and playing around my house with a toothbrush in my mouth. My favorite tooth paste flavor was the tasting of gum. According to my culture everyone should brush their teeth 3 times a day after breakfast, lunch and dinner. And I practiced this belief every day. My mom always pushed me to it so now it’s part of my routine. Also, my grandmother never let me eat a lot of candies because she said that candies cause cavities and I would not like to lose some teeth like her. There are many different brands of toothpaste in Ecuador. My favorite part was when members of these brands went to my school they gave everyone free samples and toothbrushes. But these people are also helpful because they educated students about oral 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)?

    Everyone is equal. That’s what I believe. It doesn’t matter how the other person looks, they have the same right as I do. We should not judge others because of their appearance. They are humans and have feelings. Treat others as you wanted to be treated and don’t judge a book by its cover.

  8. JuditSZP says:

    I am from Hungary and my culture is very similar to the American culture. I was raised to be polite and respectful, respect the elderly, be sensitive and patient to people with disabilities, deformities. I remember in school we were punished and publicly shamed by teachers if we secluded or bullied a fellow student who had disability or deformity. We were encouraged to protect and stand up for the ones who were bullied. Parents, as well as teachers compel children to understand that discrimination based on appearance, religion or skin color is unethical.
    In Hungary teeth symbolize health and wealth. People with straight, white teeth are considered to be in good health or be wealthy, because insurance does not cover restorative dentistry. Therefore oral hygiene is absolutely important in our lives. Dental assistants and dentists regularly visit elementary schools and promote oral health, show children how to brush and floss properly.
    For me being sensitive to one’s appearance means intelligence (emotional intelligence). An intelligent person is able to see the true value of a person and does not judge based on superficial aspects. A person with high emotional intelligence is able to determine the emotional effects of his or her actions and behavior. Thus they are sensitive and compassionate. I truly believe that emotional pain is always worse than physical pain, especially when the reason somebody gets picked on was not under their control. Nobody can choose the way they look, how fast they can process information, if they are able to use their limbs, are able to see or hear.
    The daughter of my mom’s best friend is disabled both mentally and physically but she might be the only person whom I’ve seen appreciate being alive the most. She accepts everything and everybody as they are, she is happy and her love is unconditional. Yes she looks different, but who’s to say what is beautiful or normal?!

    • I can relate to your answers for all three questions. Growing up in Guyana, if you made fun of any student, teachers were allowed to beat you. Kids learned really quickly to accept people for who they were. Especially if you don’t know anything about them or what they are going through. People in my country also did not get any insurance to cover any dental visits, so most people could not afford it because it’s a lot of poverty. So if you did have anything sort of work done on your teeth, you gave off the impression that you were wealthy, which became a trend. In the “Smile Pinki” documentary, a mother of one of the child was amazed at how many people had the same deformity as her son, which goes to show that not a lot of people are aware of the deformities in the world, she assumed it was only her. I 100% agree with your statement that “emotional pain is always worse than physical pain, especially when the reason somebody gets picked on was not under their control.” In documentary, Pinki stopped going to school because everybody made fun of her lip calling her cut lip which is crazy seeing how it’s a 5 year old girl they are making fun of. She was the cutest little girl before her surgery and she still was after.

    • I love your last sentence. If something seems normal for me it doesn’t assumes that it is normal for somebody else. I think we all have to remember this.

    • San Chan says:

      How incredible it is to have dentist visiting schools to teach children the importance of taking care of their teeth. I’ve never had anyone in school ever talk about oral health. I’ve been brushing my teeth so hard all my life that lead to receding gum until I was educated by a dentist here in America. Dentists in Macau only fix people’s teeth problem without teaching them how to prevent the problems from happening. How to use dental floss or mouth rinse are some preventive methods dentists or hygienists should teach their patients. This is the reason why I want to become a dental hygienist so I have the knowledge to promote oral health to the general population along with my closest ones.

  9. 1. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with deformities/disabilities?

    I was born in Guyana, which is a small country in South America. Even though it was a third world country, when I was growing up, it never felt that way. You never felt like you were deprived of anything. In the documentary, the surgery itself was free, but the problem everybody had was the expense of traveling and food. That’s where the people in the village helped out which reminded me of back home, that’s how everybody treated each other. They felt that if you had a deformities/disabilities, there was not much you could do about it. Everybody accepted one another for who they were. Also people could not afford to do anything, so they never would go out there way to fix something if it wasn’t affecting their everyday life. I can’t speak for every part of Guyana because I was born in relatively wealthier area compared to everywhere else. So my view of what was going on was very narrow minded in a positive way. If you happened to have a deformity/disability, people did not see you as being weaker or helpless. That could be a either a good thing as in people are not judging you but the bad thing is, they were not much accommodations for people with disability/deformity. People treated people with deformities/disabilities as if they were fine, that is just how it was.

    2. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with oral health and dentistry?

    The people in my culture did not place a lot of value in good oral health. Once again growing up, I was always told that I had to brush my teeth when I woke up, so I was good oral hygiene compared to everybody else. Guyanese people would not go to get checks up like Americans do twice a year, they just could not afford it. Insurances did not cover something like going to the dentist, it was deemed unnecessary. People would only go to the dentist if they had a tooth ache, and the only memory I have of going to the dentist in Guyana was for that exact reason. Even though they didn’t believed in having and maintaining good oral health, they would still have their own unique way of cleaning their teeth. My mother told me a story about if you didn’t have a tooth brush, two of the replacements they used was rubbing coal on their teeth or rubbing black sage, which is a plant. Also when I was growing up, everybody eventually seemed to lose their teeth and they always managed to replace it with a gold teeth. So in my opinion, I do not think they thought highly of oral health and dentistry.

    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 always thought that people should be sensitive to how other people look. I have a cousin who was born with a rare bone disease which prohibits him from living a normal life. So having him around makes me more aware of everybody else that has a disability and it gives me an inside look on how they have to live there life. Also everybody situation is different, you could have two people with the same problem but they lack a support system, not everybody has that. Therefore you should be more sensitive to people who have deformities because you don’t know what they go through. They constantly get stared at all day and most of them are very self-conscious about themselves. Thankfully today, with all the resources we have, everybody is aware of what’s going around them and they are more willing to help people with disabilities/deformities.

  10. Mariatou Diallo
    Den 1114 D219
    Prof: Maria Bilello
    September 11, 2015
    “Smile Pinki”
    Cleft lip is worldwide common birth defect, it even occurs in developed countries as well as in third world countries. Smile Pinki is a documentary about Pinki Sonkar and some children with cleft lips who received free surgery to repair their cleft lips. Pinki Sonkar is a five years old girl who was born in a poor family with a cleft lip. Pinki did not live a normal life because of her facial deformity, she did not attend school and she was called “Cutlip” by her neighbors. Pinki’s life changed when a social worker came to her village, who was traveling village to village to gather patients with cleft lips for free surgery. It was very heart touching to see Pinki when she was looking at herself in the mirror before leaving for the surgery and the way she was looking at another girl with the same facial deformity at the hospital. Furthermore, There was another 11 years old boy in the documentary, his name is Ghutaru Chauhan who had a cleft lip. He did not go to school because he did not speak properly and his cleft lip scared other children. There were some women in the documentary who were blamed for their children cleft lips and were forced to leave their marriage.
    I am from Guinea in West Africa, where most people does not take care of persons with disabilities and deformities. I have a relative, her name is Maimouna and now she is on her mid thirties. She was born with a cleft lip but hers was more severe than Pinki’s. Maimouna was outcasted by society, even by her parents. she was raised by her grandmother in a small village. People used to blamed her mother and her father as well, because her father married someone far away from the tribe. In the family, Maimouna was the only person who had cleft lip. Most people believed it was a curse by my ancestors because of an incident that had happened centuries ago. Maimouna spent all her childhood isolated and did not attend school and other social activities. She had to cover her face except the eyes when appearing in public because her deformity scared people and was unpleasant to see. She always ate and drank indoor alone by herself because in my culture it is common to eat in the same plate as a family. Maimouna did not receive a treatment because of poverty and the belief that it was a curse until she turned 16 when a doctor volunteered to give her a free surgery to repair her cleft lip. The surgery was very successful but she still had some marks. When she came back from the surgery, she started to do some crochet and sold it, which she had learned from her grandmother who died two years after the surgery in order to support herself . Maimouna has a very nice personality and she loves children. Now she is very active in the community, she is happily married and has a daughter.
    The first time, I visited my grandmother, I saw her brushing her teeth early in the morning with a chewing stick, which is called miswak. I was shocked and I was wondering how that is possible because I ever saw someone using stick to brush their teeth. My grandmother taught me how to use the miswak. It is to chew the edge of the miswak until it is soft and use the soft part to brush your teeth. After you finish, you rinse and cut the chew part of the miswak and store it in a cool area. My grandmother never went to the dentist because most people only go to the dentist when they have toothache and the dentist only pull the tooth out because it is unrepairable. My grandmother also never use toothbrush or toothpaste but she had a full mouth teeth and strong teeth at her old age. Sometimes, I used miswak after brushing my teeth with a toothbrush and a toothpaste. In the city, most of the people used toothbrush that is hard because they believed it cleans their teeth better. I myself had used hard toothbrush for years until recently I stopped because I realized it does more harm than good. Furthermore, some women in my country, tattoo’s their gums black by using needles and mixture of burned oil and shea butter for beauty or because they believe it removes bad blood in their gums. My mother and cousins had done it, I could not tattoo my gums because it is very painful.
    I think it is normal to be sensitive to how we look even without facial deformities just because of insecurity. As a human, we are more concern about our appearances than personalities. I think everyone is beautiful because beauty is in the heart, be happy, and love yourself. if you feel uncomfortable of how you look because of a deformity there is someone who has severe deformities than yours. For example, in Smile Pinki, Pinki has one side cleft lip but she can eat and talk compared to another boy in the documentary who had double cleft lip and it is difficult for him to eat and talk. In my culture, if it is a female with a deformity, she will be more sensitive of how she look than a male because she will not be treated equally compared to the male with disability and she will spend the rest of her life with her family without marriage and she will live a shameful life. I know someone who is deaf and dumb but she is very beautiful and a very nice person. However, she is still living with her family and she is unmarried, even her youngest sister is married and has children.
    In conclusion, I think it is unfair to treat people unequally even with or without disability because it will affect them psychologically. It is also unfair to judge people based on their looks because most people I know with deformities have wonderful personalities and they are loving and caring people. Treating people with deformities badly or blaming them for their deformities not only affect them but it affect their family as well.

    • San Chan says:

      Hello Mariatou, I feel very happy for your relative, Maimouna that she lives her life beautifully after her surgery. It makes me think about the documentary again that how much I appreciate for the doctors who offer free surgeries for all these children year round. The question he asks most after the surgeries is that if the parents are willing to send their children back to school, and if the children want to be in school again. It was touching to see Pinki smiles again, and have many friends to be with. The surgeries about facial deformities definitely change people’s life. These doctors who have a warm heart to help people are role models that we all should learn from.

      • Thank you Chan that’s true, after watching the documentary I felt like I have to help those people who need help. It makes me happy to see how that surgery changes the life of those children and there family as well.

  11. 1. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with
    deformities/disabilities?
    Hello, I was born in Armenia. When I was two years old my parents moved in Moscow (Russia). My grandmamma, from mother side, is French and one of my ancestors is Chechen. I have about 65% the Armenian blood inside me, so I consider myself as an Armenian. I met my wife in the New York, but she is Russian from the Sank Petersburg (Russia) and her father from the Finland. As you can see a have a mix of many cultures inside of my family. I have two kids, boy and girl; I think they are true Americans because they have so many cultures inside them, and plus they were born in the U.S. Since I consider myself as an Armenia I will talk a little bit about Armenian culture, beliefs and values that we have about disabilities and people with the deformities.
    In order to understand the values and beliefs of Armenian culture toward the disabilities we should understand what Armenia is. My country is very tiny; it is approximately same size as a Connecticut. The total population is about 10 millions, where only 3 million people are living inside Armenia and other 7 million are spread all over the Word. Moreover, almost every one inside the Armenia know each other and it is very common that they are either relatives or know someone from your family. In my opinion, Armenia is more like a big family rater the country. Therefore, even if person has any type of disabilities or deformities he or she will be accepted inside the society without any doubts. In my culture it is never been a shameful to be born with any type of deformities or physical and mental restrictions. Armenian people have a great sense of respect to their elders and kids with heath issues. Like I said, they are more like a family than strangers, and we treat members of our family very well. I know many stories about kids who lost their parents and they were adapted and raised by their neighbors. Thus, I think this is one of reasons why we don’t have centers for kids without parents and nursing homes for elder population. It is against our nature to blame the person because she or he is not able to do something like others can. Compare to it, I know some cultures that punish disable person by isolating him/her from a society because of their beliefs. I personally think that it is a crime to judge and punish people just because of their born problems; it is not a child fault to be born with deformities, kids are innocent. Not only Armenian culture has respectful attitude toward deformities, in general; disabilities are really rare and average people are living more than 80 years. For example, my grand grandma Barishka (rare Armenian name) died when she was 105 years old. I don’t know what the reason is: maybe because we have a good food and a clear air or we have the good genes inside us.

    2. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with oral health
    and dentistry?
    My culture is 5000 years old (you can google it) and we developed a very good system of health protection including dentistry. I know that my ancestors used special sticks with some kind of vegetable fibers on top very similar to modern tooth brushes, plus they used tarragon liquid to kill bacteria and prevent bad smell from the oral cavity same as modern days Listerine. Amazingly, they use to have dental surgeries, although not such advance ones that we have right now because of their instrument limitations, but still very effective. My predecessors have even developed a various methods of protecting oral health, but I have to admit not all of them were scientific. Thus, I think my culture has valued oral health, and Armenians realized the importance of maintaining overall health. Moreover, similarly to another culture, we think that the healthier the person is the better offspring he or she will provide plus she or he will be more valuable as a protector and a getter. That is the biggest reason why Armenian culture developed the health improvement system in the first place. I think that the greatest force that make us to improve our health including the dentistry it is our will to be more attractive for opposite gender.

    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 want to be honest. I am not going to pretend that I will just walk away if I will see the person with facial deformities. On the contrary, I even can be curious about this situation not because I am impolite and want to hurt person’s feelings; the reason is because I will see something new that will attract my attention. Moreover, I even will speak with the person very carefully about his /her condition to find out if there is something could be done to restore her/his face and how I can I help to him/her (If the person has the same class with me or we are working together). In my opinion, we should not ignore the people; I believe that the best way to solve the problem is to communicate. I do realize that some people don’t want to talk about their deformities. However; I still need to use the communication to find out if this is a case. From my personal experience, the majority of people will appreciate that you care about them rather that you pretend that nothing happen. Again, we must be very careful with our words, in order to make the person as comfortable as possible.

    • Anastasia says:

      I totally agree with you Vitaly that we should not ignore the people with facial deformities/disabilities. We should talk to the person than pretend that nothing happen. We have to make sure that our questions are useful and informative, not abusive. It is important to treat him/her as an equal, to talk to him/her and act normally. Even simple “hello” will be appreciated by him/her.

  12. Jung Won
    DEN1114 Histology & Embryology D219

    America is nicknamed the “Melting Pot” with various cultures coexisting together to form a new society. Within all those cultures, different perspectives exist. Especially in a profession where people from all over the world find essential, one must show flexibility in understanding those various cultures. I was born in South Korea. A small country with a dense population, South Korea portrays itself as a nation that holds onto obstinate ideas.
    South Korean parents tend to be condemning and stubborn about their children. If a child is born with deformities or disabilities, the child is often hidden and is thought of as embarrassing. Also, the deformities and the disabilities are thought to be mistakes of the mother despite any medical evidence. Even if a child does not have deformities or disabilities, but shows any form of tangential behavior, parents send the child to the hospital for immediate check-up. There are people who disagree with such actions. However, most go along with the fixed ideas about deformed or disabled children.
    In South Korea there are no places for children with deformities or disabilities to get proper dental treatment. Even if one tries to look up a facility that offers proper treatment for disabled children, one would not be able to find anything. A popular portal site in Korea called “Naver”, the Korean version of “Google”, shows that there are no search results for a place that specializes in dental treatment for deformed or disabled people. Even if there is a place, one would have to travel into the city. Therefore, people who cannot afford the transportation to go back and forth would not have any way of receiving proper treatment.
    Orthodontics is a hot topic in South Korea. Nobody cares about their actual oral health and dentistry. Instead people are more interested in beautiful teeth. With many celebrities and public figures emphasizing the looks of their teeth, the young generations inevitably feel the tendency to follow the footsteps of their idols. On the other hand, the older generations do care about their oral health and dentistry, but not in a healthy manner. They use salt to brush their teeth. Salt can disinfect some bacteria and has been known to be a remedy traditionally, but salt cannot fix all oral health problems. The older generation obstinately believe that salt can be a solution to every oral health problem.
    I believe our appearances are essential in life. There are candied phrases such as “do not judge people by their looks”, but in the real world such phrases fail to encourage people. Just like in “Smile Pinki”, Pinki’s parents were worried about Pinki’s future because of her cleft lips. If her parents thought about the beauty inside, they would not have prioritized the treatment Pinki’s cleft lips. Her parents knew about the outcomes Pinki would face due to her cleft lips; therefore, they send her to have surgery. Facial deformities do not determine one’s values, but the deformities can be a scapegoat to judge someone on a first impression. People are sensitive towards the looks of others. The current society emphasizes the importance of body image, make-up, hair-styles, etc. None of them include a person’s behavior, thoughts, or ideas. Living in such society, we must strive to better our looks to fit in with the idealistic beauties of the current society.

    • yyang1097 says:

      In the Chinese culture, it is also common for the society to blame the women for their children’s defects. Women are often shun from their family and it is believed that what the women did in the past or if the women was a sinful person, their children resulted with defects.

  13. 1. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with deformities/disabilities?

    The values and beliefs that my culture associates with deformities and disabilities are very simple. Treat others how you would want yourself or your loved ones to be treated. Not everything in this world can be controlled, and for those that are born or suffer from deformities or disabilities are brave and deserve a lot of respect. They go through each day suffering from these problems and have to deal with those who do not have the same beliefs that I do. Put yourself in their shoes and go through having these problems that could not be prevented and just see how difficult it is for them.

    2. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with oral health and dentistry?

    I was born in the United States, the beliefs that my culture associates with oral health and dentistry is going for cleaning every 6 months and keeping your teeth clean. Many in my culture do this by brushing their teeth, flossing and going to the dentist. Many cultures have different ways of doing this like chewing on certain barks. Being that I was born in the United States I have never heard of that because I was always taught to brush and floss. After seeing these responses I am going to research how other cultures clean their teeth and the advantages and disadvantages of those ways.

    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 take this very serious; I would never be insensitive towards a person’s looks. You never know a person’s past and do not know if someone was in an accident or was born with a deformity. I work in a fitness center and there is a boy named Brandon. He had many surgeries on his body and walks with a very bad limp and has little use of his right hand. He comes in the gym all the time and tries to workout. I admire him so much because even though he has problems he is still in the gym trying to stay fit and work hard. If anyone was to make fun of him I would be right there to stand up for him. It is not right to make fun of others appearances, you do not know what they have been through, so I think being sensitive toward people with disabilities or deformities is very serious and important.

    • Johnny, I agree with you about how intriguing the stories people have shared here about their cultures oral care. In America it is so drilled into us that we need to brush floss and see the dentist every so often that we forget how different the traditions of oral health care is around the world. Also reading your story about the boy Brandon that comes into your fitness center, i too admire him and how he doesn’t let his problems interfere with his happiness and his determination to stay healthy.

  14. Being born and raised in America I realize that we are a very fortunate country where medical and dental care is available. Many countries around the world aren’t as fortunate to have healthcare provided to them and with that, there are many people who may have disabilities that aren’t properly cared for. Growing up, I was taught by my parents to treat all people with respect no matter what physical differences they may have, no matter what race, culture or religious beliefs. At the end of the day we are all human beings no matter what physical differences we have on the outside from each other. I always remember my mother saying “treat others the way you want to be treated” and I do exactly that in my personal life. My mother is a para who works in a school with special needs children and she is very passionate about it.

    My father is of Ecuadorian descent and although he was born in America, he lived in Ecuador for many years before moving back to America. When he was growing up in Ecuador dental care was not very important. He did not regularly see a dentist or take good care of his teeth. Once he moved back to America he saw a dentist and learned the importance of maintaining his oral health and ever since then oral health has been very important to him. When I was growing up as a young child my dad wouldn’t like me eating candy because he said the sugar was bad for my teeth. At those times I was a kid who couldn’t have candy and I saw my friends eating candy and I was upset(haha) but I was very fortunate to have a parent who embraced the importance of oral health onto me. Growing up my dad would always brush my teeth with me in the morning and night and even though as a young child I didn’t want to do it, he tried to make brushing my teeth fun. At the ages of 10-13 I had braces and once they were removed and I loved how my teeth looked was when I realized how important it was to take care of my teeth. Living in America and having dental insurance, I am very fortunate to be able to visit the dentist under any conditions because unlike in America, dental offices and treatments in Ecuador are not as convenient.

    We live in a world with many different cultures, languages and religions that define us, but we all are the same people who all have the same primary needs. I believe that absolutely no one should be judged on their physical appearances even if they may look a little different from the average person. Everyone should be sensitive to others physical disabilities because at the end of the day, all people want to live full, healthy lives. People with disabilities or deformities didn’t choose to have these differences which is why I believe we should not look at those people any different from a normal, healthy person.

    • I can relate to your situation very much because I am from Ecuador too. I was born there and moving to the United States made my life easier in the way of providing me medical insurance. I needed to have braces but they were so expensive that family couldn’t afford that. There were no free medical centers that you can get bit by free. Now having medical insurance I can visit the dentist every 6 months.

  15. Rana says:

    Yemen is one of the poorest countries, where not all children have education.
    Growing up in Yemen, I learn that people treat deformities/disabilities differently. Mother’s would be blamed for their children’s deformities/disabilities, some would feel ashamed how they look in front of society and wonder what they did wrong to deserve their fate. It is harder for them to get married because no one wants to marry someone who is disabled, since the parents arrange it. Additionally, if a girl doesn’t get married people would gossip that there must be something wrong with her and the family wants to hide it.
    Since many people can’t afford to spend money, not a lot of them go to the dentist unless it’s life threating. When I grew up in Yemen, I only went to the dentist when my mouth was swollen because of cavities. My mom would teach us to clean our teeth, but I knew not many children or adults care that much for oral care. Long time people used to clean their teeth with miswak, which is twig made from Salvadora persica tree, and some still use that method of cleaning.
    As a kid, I didn’t understand the reason behind why someone is deformed. I only knew to stay away from them just like how other children did. As I grew up I learned that people shouldn’t be judged based on how they look or the disability they were born with, but based on their personality and their intentions. I know a child who has autism and people would piety him, and it hurts me to know that people see him as something to talk about.

  16. Anastasia says:

    1. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with deformities/disabilities?
    I am from Russia and we have few beliefs in our culture associated with deformities/ disabilities that I want to share with you. I used to love to sit with my grandmother on the bench and listen to her myths and beliefs. My grandmother always told me when you see people with crooked legs (“deforming arthritis”) it means that mother of that person used to sit with her legs crossed during her pregnancy. I strongly believed and respected my grandmother’s knowledge when I was a child. Nowadays, I think that the curvature of the legs and clubfoot child is irrelevant to the myths. The other side of my thinking: when my daughter was born, my mom always told me, as her grandmother taught her, to swaddle the baby’s whole body to the neck very tightly, preventing freedom of movement. She believed that it is very important for child’s body and legs, so you can improve the “leveling” mounds, folds, stretching of bones. Therefore in the future it will increase the success of straight long legs. Even now and then some of my friends in Russia are practicing this swaddle technique to their babies. Long time ago, I had a girlfriend Katie from my kinder garden and she had a huge birthmark on the left side of her chin. She always told me that her parents believed that this birthmark is because her mom looked at the fire one day, while she was pregnant, and suddenly touched her face. So that touch has affected the appearance of that girl Katie. My mother always taught me to be respectful to people with abnormalities and disabilities. She used to say to me “Do not to stare with fear or disgust at their face, treat them normally, and speak with them normally”. It is very sad that disabled people in Russia still face inequality of opportunity and cannot fully participate in society.
    2. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with oral health and dentistry?
    All children from 1980-1990s from Russia remember what tooth powder is. It is a mixture of precipitated chalk with various additives. Sometimes it was used instead of toothpaste to scrape out something from jewelry and ornaments, or used to scrub something burnt from pots and pans. It was pretty cool powder, but I didn’t like taste of it and how it felt. My uncle never used toothpaste; he always explained that it is chemical paste and he prefered only natural way to brush his teeth. He brushed his teeth with Aspen (kind of tree) wood stick and rinse with tape water. Let me tell you that his teeth are still in great condition and he is 62 years old! I was surprised that it works! Unfortunately, in my small town the dentistry is not popular. People go to the dentist because they are in severe pain or there is a bleeding. Otherwise they don’t go to dentist to get a cleaning and regular checkup. The local dentist, with whom I had a bad experience with, is practicing only filling and retractions. One day I remember I had pain in my lower left jaw and I went to visit that dentist. She looked at my teeth, she said “Oh, you have a big cavity in your tooth, and it is not treatable. Let’s pull your tooth out today and your pain will disappear forever. This is not a reflection for all dentists from Russia. Most of them try to fix the problem without waiting when the condition is at its worse scenario. Today I am so pleased that I am in the Dental Hygiene Program, and my goal is to help people with valuable health care service.
    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 think it is very important to be sensitive to a person’s appearance. We don’t get to choose the appearance we are born with. From my childhood I remember a boy who was mute. His personality was very social and friendly. He went to high school just like everyone else and he looked nothing different from anyone else. He was still different from everyone else and that was because he didn’t speak. He was very athletic and had good success at sports. His friends learned sign language to communicate with him. I think it is so special when people from his community do everything for him to feel comfortable. All life is based on the submission of sensations. Therefore there is a difference in how people perceive it. There are a variety of people from the world of silence who are educated and those who are less motivated. Even though they are mute, they reach an incredible level of self-education. They graduate with degrees, such as economists and programmers, while some become writers or poets. My personal opinion about being sensitive to them revolves around seeing the bigger picture and not focusing on the deformity. Personalities don’t have deformities; they are built up and can be shaped into whatever you want to be. The word sensitive in my opinion does not indicate the need for feeling sorry, instead being sensitive to my personal actions and understanding that a deformity does not make a person bad, incapable, or unequal.

    • Ukraine and Russia are very similar in dental care. I remember how scared I used to be when going the dentist. My parents would take me only if I had toothache. We could not afford to go there for any regular check ups. My father has very bad teeth because of this poor dental care. Most of his life he lived in Ukraine and in same way as your uncle cleaned his teeth with Aspen, my father avoided all commercial toothpastes as he thought them to ruin his teeth even more.
      I had a similar experience as you did with a cavity in my tooth, however my story ended sad. A year after the dentist did a root canal and a filling on my tooth it has gone bad and had to be pulled out, all because she did a poor job.
      I am happy for both of us living in the U.S. and being able to help our communities and provide our children with better experiences and oral health as they grow up.

    • I totally understand that in former Soviet Republics there is still unequal attitude to disabled people. In many cases they are treated like a junk. May be you know about this awful situation that happened with Natalia Vodianova’s sister. She has autism and cerebral palsy. So she and her attendant were forcefully kicked out from the restaurant, just because this disabled girl was spoiling the image of this place. If her sister wasn’t Natalia Vodianova, a world known super model, this case would be left as it is. But now Vodianova started a huge campaign to support disabled people’s rights, to change social attitude to these people, and to attract more attention to their problems. I hope she will succeed.

    • Lidia says:

      I agree with you Anastasia, my grandparents also used tooth powder instead of paste, they believe that it is better and not that expensive as the toothpaste. I remember when I was a child I have to used the powder because we didn`t know what is the toothpaste and floss are. I also experience the pain during dental procedure because there was no local anesthesia used, only in rare cases and it was very expensive at that time. Great story! Thank you.

  17. Wilawan says:

    Wilawan Wunjina
    DEN1114 D219
    I am from Thailand and I grew up during a transition between traditional and modern culture in my country. Many of the core values and beliefs in my culture are based on tradition and religion. One of the old beliefs is that people with deformities or disabilities, suffer from those conditions as a result of their own actions, or karma. In Thai culture, some people believe that if you become disabled, you might have done something that caused the same disability to affect someone else in the past. Often times the parents, especially the mother is the one to blame, as she is believed to be the cause of the child born with the deformity or disability.
    People with disabilities are less accepted in Thai society. They are not treated the same as normal people, or they are classified as a lower social class and often times they are completely abandoned by society. Only recently, those beliefs and values have started to change. People understand that disabilities are a form of abnormality and not related to the old beliefs of karma. I have seen many people with disabilities be accepted and treated better and have more roles in Thai society.
    When it comes to oral health and dentistry in Thai culture, people are less concerned about their oral health, and only the rich or educated people get regular dental care. In general, people do not take dental care as seriously as other health concerns. I would say people have minimal knowledge about proper oral health and generally only take care of their teeth through routine brushing. Many older people also use herbal products and chew tree bark to maintain their oral health. Since the cost of seeing a dentist is beyond the reach of most people, many people do not have regular check ups and only see a dentist when they already have a serious problem with their teeth or gums.
    I believe being sensitive to other people’s appearance is important. I had a neighbor who I grew up with who had a cleft lip. She was teased by her friends because she was unable to speak clearly and had an unusual appearance. This led her to struggle with her self-confidence, and she was afraid to socialize with other people and eventually decided to quit high school. I empathized with her because she’s actually one of the nicest people I have ever known. I understand what people with deformities go through and, as a result, if I encounter a person with a facial deformity or other disability, I would react to him or her as a normal person and would not stare or place undue emphasis on any physical abnormality and would not judge them based on their appearance.

    • Kenya Davis says:

      I am really sad that your friend quit school. Its really upsetting that her peers treated her that way. I had to go to Thailand for a few month for work, I did some work with the Thai Air Force a couple of years ago and I noticed the poverty but I didn’t realize how badly people with deformities were treated.

      • Wilawan says:

        Kenya, I’m glad that you had a chance to visit Thailand. There’re still poverty in the rural area. Also, we do not have a lot of supports for people with disabilities.

    • yyang1097 says:

      The culture in China regarding the deformities and disabilities of a child is also the blame of the mother since the mother is the one who carried the child during the pregnancy. What the mother did in her past or her healthy habits would be the sole cause of the child’s defects, however the father is never to be blamed for any of the child’s defects. Also, dental care was not a priority in China either because many people could not afford to care for their family with the little salary that they earn, therefore dental care was not a necessity.

  18. Abeer says:

    Abeer Alshawri
    DEN 1114 D219
    Prof: Maria Biello
    “Smile pinki” Assignment

    1. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with deformities/disabilities?

    Coming from a country called Yemen, where most of the people with heath disabilities are not able to get the care they need or have special education to treat their illness. Since Yemen is consider in third world country, disabled people face lots of challenges and difficulties in their lives. They feel different from others, that’s because, authorized people are being so carless towards them. These children always face hard time to socialize with their friends, family members, and teachers. In result of this negligence make children always feel lonely, depressed, and being embarrassed by others. In addition, not only children who face difficulties, but also disabled adults. Adult with disabilities always faced problems supporting their families. Therefore, people who are disabled being treated as different human being, especially females. For example, in my country disabled girls may stay without marriage or being unable to perform any duties like other normal girls.

    2. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with oral health and dentistry?

    In Yemen the majority of people don’t care enough of their teeth. Since Yemen is a poor country, most of people don’t visit dentists or do a general checkup. Some of them believe that going to dentists just waste of their money. My grandfather never went to the dentist or even used a tooth brush. Instead, he used something called “miswak” to clean his teeth. Miswak is made from tree called Arak and people use it to clean their teeth instead of using toothbrush. So, people may go to the dental office only when they have painful toothache such as having cavities. Most of Yemeni people are not well educated to understand oral disease, and the cause of an oral disease. The majority of those people don’t even brush their teeth regularly. In Yemen also there is a problem that cause oral diseases, and people are not aware of it. This problem is caused by something called “Khat”. Khat is a leafy green plant that people put it in their mouth and chew it for long time a day. People chewing this evil khat without knowing or realizing how Khat can cause a lots of oral diseases such as gum cancer or even losing some teeth.

    3. Thinking about facial deformities and personal experiences what does it mean to you to be sensitive to how a person looks (their appearance)?
    We all human being, regardless of how physical appearance we may look. We believe that god created all humans to be equal, so we should not judge others based on how they appear. People with facial disability feel shy, embarrassed, and ashamed to socialize with others. Therefore, we as human must not look at them as different creation. Cleft lip is one of the most facial deformities that my county experience the most. I have a family relative member who experiences a similar problem to “smile pinki”. The only difference that my relative had done the cleft lip surgery when he was two years old. He was just lucky to get the treatment at his early age because most of families aren’t be able to cover the cost of this surgery. The other reason is the cost of this facial surgery, financial hardship prevents lots of people to have this facial surgery done. In this case, those people become disappointed and started blaming their parents as they were the reason behind it.

    • Rana says:

      Since we both came from Yemen, I understand about how girls are treated with disability, and people should start to care about oral health more.

    • It is very fascinated to know and sad at the same time, that people treat people with a disability cruelly espicially girls. I can agree with you, that people from third world conury do not place significant stress on oral health or dentistry, as do my country Guyana.

  19. Brittany Gallo
    Den 1114 D219
    Reflective Writing Assignment: “Smile Pinki”

    Being born and raised in the United States I realized how lucky we are to have medical and dental care available to us. Many other countries around the world are tossed to the side because healthcare isn’t provided for themselves or their children. With no healthcare provided there are many people around the world with deformities and disabilities who aren’t getting the proper care. Being brought up, my parents always taught me that everyone I meet gets treated with respect no matter who or what they look like. The value and beliefs that my culture associates with deformities and disabilities is to treat others how you would want yourself and your loved ones to be treated. No one deserves to feel different or left out because of a deformity or disability someone was born with. Put yourself in their position and imagine feeling different when all you want to feel is the same as everyone around you. I admire people that have to live through these situations daily, I believe they deserve all the best attention and care in the world.

    In many cultures the appearance of teeth may be important, but having “healthy” teeth and gums is not connected to the appearance in a direct way. Red or swollen gums, bleeding gums, painful chewing, loose teeth, receding gums, all the symptoms of gum disease may be ignored as long as the visible teeth “look good”. The value and beliefs my culture associates with oral health and dentistry is that you see the dentist every 6 months for a cleaning and a checkup. Brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing everyday will help keep your teeth looking and feeling healthy.

    Thinking about facial deformities and personal experiences it means a lot to me about being sensitive to how a person feels about the way they look. I have had an experience in the past when I was younger. A young boy who had a facial deformity and a disability came running up to me hugging me while I was walking through the mall with my mother. When the young boy came up to me and started hugging me as if he knew me I acted so calmly and as if nothing was wrong. I didn’t want to make him feel upset or scared as if he was doing something wrong. I said hello and I asked him how he was. His mom came over to my mom and I and apologized for his behavior, my mom said there was absolutely nothing wrong it and that he seemed so sweet. This memory stays in my mind since I was younger because it touched my heart. I don’t think its right to make fun or bully anyone because of the way they look or act. People with deformities and disabilities did not choose to live that way, they were just born a little different.. a brave different. I look up to them as I look up to other people.

  20. Originally I am from Ukraine, however half of my life I lived in Spain. I have come to have a mixed culture where we celebrate two Christmases and religions in my family have intercrossed as well.
    In Ukraine mostly, people will do their best to get their child an operation before it is too late. Family and friends gather money together to help each other. While growing up I did not have any friends or neighbors with deformity or disability. Ukrainians usually say it is a great woe when someone is born with a disability or a deformity. It is very hard to take care of children with disabilities in my country of origin, where even buying a wheelchair is a problem. Not many building are adapted to disabled.
    Doctor’s visits are expensive and there is no such thing as medical insurance. All clinics are private, and whatever is left of government clinics is very poor and very low on medicine supplies. Ukraine does not have philanthropists who go around the country making miracles comes true. Whatever is on television is just propaganda and lies.
    In my Ukrainian culture it is a great hardship to take upon when you have a child with disabilities. When that child grows up little future waits for him or her. They might get married and live a decent life however even that would be a great success for them.
    In Ukraine most people are religious. Families would pray for God to bless their child. Grown ups do not treat disabled with disrespect and try to be nice and help at every chance they get.
    While living in Spain, the country itself is more modern. Europe is a different world. Even though Ukraine is not a third world country, it has very poor medical care for its citizen. In contrast Spain provides medical insurance to its citizen. I believe it is for a cost now, but when we used to live there it was free up to an extent. I saw some children with disabilities now and then however they were being taking very good care of. Buildings and sidewalks are adapted for disabled people.
    I remember going to the Sports Center in my town and there were multiple free programs offered for children with disabilities such as swimming lessons and even basketball.
    Spain helps pregnant women to get the vitamins they need during pregnancy and the corresponding care during childbirth to prevent disabilities and deformities in children. Spain health care system helps parents who have children with disabilities in a similar way that the United States does.
    When a child grows up to an adult the Department of Labor in Spain helps find them a job and accommodate them so they can have a close to good life.
    Spain takes much better care of its citizens than Ukraine does.
    In both countries the values and beliefs are similar, mostly children are the first ones to make fun of others who are different. Some villages in Ukraine are still quite superstitious but from a religious standpoint, saying that is was God’s will if a child was born like this.
    Usually, both cultures understand that deformities and disabilities are a developmental failure and were out of our control. As well as both cultures try to make best of what is in their control to help prevent children being born this way.
    In the last decade or so Ukraine has placed more attention to oral health than before. In the years of my grandmother’s youth as long as you had your front teeth it was fine. Most people looked at your cover. The crowns were made of gold, which was quite expensive for many people back then. That contributed to poor oral health. If you had tooth decay dentist visits were very expensive and most people went to them only if they were in pain. Such things as sensitivity or a cracked tooth would be ignored because again it was just too expensive to get fixed. With years as the media started promoting oral health and Hollywood smiles everybody started to be more centered on appearances. I think that most of them thought more of having a pretty white smile than healthy gums. Again, any health care in Ukraine is expensive especially dental care. If someone needs antibiotics they are sold in pharmacies as over the counter drugs. All you need is the dosage and they will be sold to anyone over eighteen. However, Spain has a different picture of oral health. All dentists there are private, at least the good ones. It is expensive to go there but Spanish people value good teeth. Oral health there is more important than white teeth. Straight teeth are more important than white teeth. Numerous children wear braces during childhood so their mandible grows well and teeth look pretty by age fifteen.
    In my opinion, people with facial deformities should be treated equally. These people should be given same opportunities as others. While media and our modern “look amazing” world catches up with reality we might be hurting someone else’s feelings. In my experience, people with facial deformities like to be treated as normal as possible. They do not ask for special seats, or not to look at them, or be extra nice. All they want is feel part of society. When I talk to someone different I treat him or her, as I would like someone to treat myself. You don’t have to pretend that those differences are not there, just be respectful and sensitive to their feeling and answers. Never put yourself above anyone. Try to put your feet in somebody else’s shoes before you think of judging them. However, not even then will you have the right to do it. Compassion, understanding and equality will make anyone feel welcomed anywhere.

  21. Smile Pinki documentary impressed me very much. Shocked and sad that so many people in India cannot afford a surgery or don’t even know that cleft lip is treatable. Big thanks to those doctors, who understand the importance of facial appearance in social life, and fulfill those charitable gestures, giving those poor children a chance for future without stigma and loneliness.
    I am from Moldova, a small Easter European country. We are not exception; we have children born with abnormalities too. In Moldova children with cleft lip receive necessary surgical help during the first year of life. The cleft lip plastic surgery is affordable. The state obliges municipal hospitals to do a particular number of surgeries per year free of charge, so even children from poor families can receive necessary treatment.
    In my country facial deformity means that a person will be an outcast, will be unable to get proper education and work with people, and will not get married (that is a very important issue!). My parents always taught me that it is bad to laugh and poke at people with deformities. Even if a person looks weird, he/she is a human being, who has a heart. There is something beyond the appearance. When I see a person with a deformity, it seems to me that I can feel their pain, because I know how cruel the people can be, and how easily people can segregate everyone who is different.
    Nowadays, with the vast amount of information resources people know that developmental anomalies are caused by genetic aberrations, or unfavorable intrinsic or extrinsic factors (teratogen factors) during the pregnancy. Nevertheless, some people in my country believe that children with abnormalities are cursed by God for the sins of their parents. There are still cases when parents just do nothing to solve the situation. Ignorance and poverty is the reason. I know a doctor in Moldova; she is a maxillofacial surgeon at a pediatric hospital. Once she was walking around the city and saw a 9-year-old boy with a cleft lip and palate. He was sitting with his mother and begging for money. My professor was surprised that the mother hadn’t addressed to any doctor yet to treat her child. She explained the importance of early treatment of the cleft lip and palate, and the consequences of postponing the surgery. The professor talked with some other doctors from her team and performed a free surgery for the boy. I don’t know any more information about that boy. I understand that he required a long rehabilitation period with the control of speech specialist and orthodontist, which probably his family couldn’t afford. I sincerely hope he is living a better life now.
    In Moldova the teeth health shows the family status. The straighter and the whiter the teeth are, the more financially stable are the people. Unfortunately, poor people, especially who live in rural areas, visit dentists only when they cannot tolerate the pain any more. They don’t take care so much about dental hygiene, because all the money they earn they spend on paying the bills and buying the food.
    My grandfather was a simple man, from a small village. In his family there was no culture to brush the teeth. Although he told me that from time to time he brushed his teeth with ash or backing soda to polish them, and when he had tooth sensitivity he rinsed the mouth with salt solution, and that helped. Being raised in such a family, my mother, of course, didn’t know that teeth brushing necessary. She found it out only when she went to school. Only there she was told about dental hygiene importance, was taught how to brush the teeth, and was checked up by a dentist regularly every 6 months. My mother recalls that they used tooth powders instead of toothpastes, and rinsed the mouth with salt water after each brushing. She is grateful to her teachers for developing the habit of oral hygiene care.

  22. Kenya Davis says:

    My family is very American; which means we are diverse in our appearance, values and beliefs. There are usually three levels to my family’s beliefs. We have the devout Christians that reply to disabilities by saying “God has a plan, He wouldn’t have made them this way if He didn’t.” Then we have the on-again, off-again Christians who claim they know the Bible but have never read it and only go to Church when guilted into it. They usually say things like “It builds character,” in reference to deformities or disabilities. Lastly but not least we have the true science believers which consists of my generation and younger and sometimes my Mom. We tend to understand the why of things but don’t explain them to the rest of the family unless our input is specifically asked for. This tends to hurt less feelings and aid in more covert giggles.
    When it comes to oral health my family’s values/beliefs fall along the lines of: you only get 1 permanent smile, mess that up and you are out of luck. My mom taught me how to brush my teeth and why it is important that I do so. It wasn’t so ingrained that it was the most important thing in the world, but it was a daily check in the box.
    Everyone has something about themselves that they are not happy about or something they were born with that they cannot change, so when I see someone with a facial deformity I think about how I feel about my insecurities and how I would/wouldn’t want them addressed by others and work from there. It’s definitely not someone’s fault that they were born with a deformity so there is no point in treating them like they had a choice in their development.

    • I completely agree with your levels of family belief. Growing up I went to catholic school and we always heard that it was God’s plan, and it was meant to happen. Yet my parents always stood with the view that hard times builds character, and as you said our generation tends to stand with the side of science. So growing up I tried to blend all those levels into one that I was happy with.

  23. Amanda Watson
    Den 1114

    What are the values and beliefs that your culture associated with deformities/ disabilities?
    Growing up in South America, in the country of Guyana, I haven’t seen a lot of people with deformities, but with disabilities, yes. In my culture education is not valued by everyone, but religion is. Therefore a person with a disability is assumed to be plagued by a spiritual/ supernatural entity. This belief is prevalent throughout the country. It is very perplex to think that I have never seen a person with deformity in Guyana. That being the situation, I would assumed a person with a deformity is hidden from society.

    What are the values and beliefs that your culture associated with oral health and dentistry?
    In Guyana there is no significant stress placed on oral health or dentistry. Growing up, we are taught to brush our teeth on a daily basis, but not to floss or see dentist every six months. If there is pain or an infection, the tooth is simply pulled. The majority of people in Guyana from age 20 and older are missing a significant number of tooth, because of the lack of oral health and dentistry.

    Thinking about facial deformities and personal experiences what does it mean to you to be sensitive to how a person looks ( their appearance)?
    A person with a facial deformity, in my opinion deserve to be treated as everyone else. I would notice people with facial deformities on the train or bus, but I think it is very rude to stare at them. Therefore I would just glance at them like I do everyone else and mind my own business.

    • Wilawan says:

      Amanda, your culture is similar to my culture in the sense that religion plays a role in people’s lives. People still believe in the supernatural and try to relate what happens in their lives through their religious beliefs. Also, the oral health is not really a priority, as most people only seek a dentist only when they already have serious problem with their teeth of mouth.

    • Angela says:

      I can relate to Guyana’s view of oral health and dentistry. The Chinese were also not well informed about oral health. It was not stressed to see the dentist every six months. People would just go see the dentist when there was pain. However, knowledge has increased and the importance of oral health has been encouraged. Currently, people still do not make a habit for regular dentist visits. These two cultures are similar regarding the view of oral health.

    • ZhengDao says:

      My culture was same as yours back then, they just pull out the teeth once it has cavity or in great pain. The generations back then usually care about is the tooth hurts or not, or whether one can still chew.

  24. Lidia says:

    Lidia Tunyan
    Den 1114
    D219

    1. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with deformities/disabilities?

    I was born in small town in the South Russia, where most of the people are not poor like families from the Smile Pinki movie but compared to people from the bigger cities they live less comfortable . When I was ten, me and my family moved to Moscow, the capital of Russia because my parents believed that it will be better for me and my little brother’ future. They were absolutely right because the education, the beliefs and lifestyle are better in the big cities but at the same time there are a lot of complications related to big city life. Russian educational system required separate classes for disabled and mentally challenged students. Children with the severe abnormalities were not attending regular public or private schools; they had special schools for the kids like they are. I remember that if there was a child from that special education class, most of the children from regular classes would make fun of him. Even if the child is overweight or obese he would be ashamed of everyone`s jokes. Unfortunately, those kids always are the victims of bullying. I know a lot of stories of people whose children refused to go to school because they were getting victimized of others as were happened with the kids with the cleft lip in smile Pinki movie. I won`t say that my country has bad social respect for people with disabilities but it is what it is. If family has a child with abnormalities and deformities they would do everything in order to help their child or to fix the issue, because they know that even the small abnormalities on the baby`s face left untreated will ruin his/her life.

    2. What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with oral health and dentistry?

    My country has a very specific vision to ll aspects of the oral health and dentistry itself. Everyone is taught from the early childhood that we have to clean our teeth twice a day and I visit the dental office every 6 months for a check up. The dentist career is one of the most valuable and prestigious careers in the medical field and all parents want their children to become dentists for the financially secured future. The only problem is that in my culture there is a differentiation between paid and free medical treatment, meaning that private clinic dentist get paid totally different than public dentists. There is no dental hygienist profession in Russia due to the fact that dentists do all the cleaning and other dental services. I visited Moscow 1.5 years ago and I had a chance to visit a dentist in the private clinic. I can say that dental services and the dental equipment are more modern and professional than in the US for some reason. I thought that my country is always far behind with the new innovations compared to Europe and West countries but at the aspects of dentistry they are far ahead. I am very proud of them and happy that people would get professional dental services if they have enough money.

    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 previous country people will judge you if you are not perfect, because they believe that everybody should be perfect and that is what all fashion magazines and television are promoting. But no one in this life is perfect. People can have different abnormalities but can be humans in every cell of their bodies and the kindness and love from the bottom of their huge hearts. I read a lot about people with autism, about how antisocial they look like at the first sight but how nice, kind and unique they are on the inside. How many famous musicians, poets, artists we all know who became who they are regardless of their defects and abnormalities. Sometimes they are happier, more appreciable and more polite than others. I don’t think that anyone should be judging anyone based on their facial deformities or any other health or mental issues.

  25. Being born and raised in American culture I was taught never to be judgmental of how people looked, talked, or acted. Deformities and disabilities are seen as a normal thing. The newer generations seemed to be more accepting of disabilities, and this can be contributed to how we were raised. As a child my mother always taught me to never stare at handicapped people, or in some cases look away from them. Some of the older generations still hold on to the way they were taught, that being disabled was a life debilitating thing and I can see this view in my own grandparents. During my grandparent’s childhood most disabled children were sent to hospitals where they would live and be taken care of to relieve the burden from their families and thats how they were perceived, as burdens. Today American culture does not see the disabled community as such. My cousin is in his late 20s and has down syndrome,but has completed high school and now has a full time job. He lives a fully normal life and is completely capable of taking care of himself. In American it is completely possible for a person with deformities and disabilities to go on and live a completely normal life due to the many advancements and programs available here.

    Facial deformities is a very sensitive case in American. American culture puts a strong focus on outer appearance especially with all the magazines available today. There has been many achievements in facial reconstruction surgeries, like in “Smile Pinki”. Cleft lip is almost none existent in American children due to surgery being able to be performed so young. For some people who live with facial deformities they face a lot of scrutiny and stares. To me being sensitive about facial deformities means not to judge them until you get to know them. It also means not to stare at them or in some cases look away from them as if your embarrassed or scared.

    Oral health in America is seen as something important, but for most families it may not be the most important thing due to financial restraints. My parents always taught me that it was important to brush and floss to maintain a nice smile. My parents always took us to the dentist for routine cleanings and we all even had braces by the 5th grade, but my parents only ever went themselves if there was a serious problem. My father never went to the dentist until recently because his history of diabetes and smoking was causing a problem with the strength of his teeth. This caused him to lose a tooth and the dentist recommended a full removal of the maxillary teeth for replacement dentures. Seeing what happened with his oral health makes me more motivated to care and maintain mine.

    .

  26. yyang1097 says:

    Yaqi Yang
    D219
    September 12th, 2015
    Smile Pinki (Reflective Writing Assignment)

    The usual dinner that I spent with my family often consisted of complete silence, however last night I had decided to inquire about the Chinese cultural perspective on disabilities and deformities such as cleft lip and cleft palate. As to my dismay, I had found out any form of disabilities and/or deformities were frowned upon due to the burden the incapable person may present to their family. Infants with disabilities and/or deformities were often abandoned or aborted. However, I was not stunned to hear such an appalling matter since most people in China could barely afford to feed the entire family let along afford corrective surgeries for one family member. According to my mother’s childhood stories, many could not afford to complete high school due to the expenses and often had to drop out to help contribute to their family income. Women who bore children with deformities were often blamed for the child’s mishap; it was never a men’s fault when a child was born with deformities or disabilities. It was always a result of the women’s poor health habits or the women being a “bad person” during their lifetime. Mothers were placed in a difficult predicament to choose from either abandoning their child or be kicked out of the house.
    As for the Chinese cultural beliefs associated with oral health, it was not highly regarded in the sense of one’s health. As previously mentioned many Chinese families are unable to comfortably support their family and/or afford medical care, therefore dental care was not viewed as a necessity. Bare minimal care is often used to treat one’s oral health; for instance many of my elderly relatives would dilute their toothpaste to use it sparingly back in the days. Most of the Chinese elderly in my family either have few teeth remaining or have rotting teeth due to their lack of dental care when they were in China.
    In reference to facial deformities and personal experiences, being sensitive to someone’s appearance is to be aware and conscious of the person’s emotional state of mind. For as long as the person has been aware of their own deformities, their society has also taken notice of the individual’s poor appearance with their disgust toward the person. Often people with deformities have no control over how they appear due to science participating in the role. People, often, fail to take time to get to know the individual as a person rather than judging the individual based on their appearance. As evident of “Smile Pinki,” Pinki along with many other CLP children were unable to attend school because they were teased; Pinki was called “cut-lip” amongst her peers.

  27. Angela says:

    Angela Zhang

    The beliefs of the Chinese culture is mixed towards those who have deformities and disabilities. My parents are from China. In the past, the culture was similar to the Indian culture of how they viewed people with deformities. As shown in the documentary, “Smile Pinki”, people viewed deformities as a curse. Children would make fun of them to the point they would not even attend school. Also they were labeled as unsuccessful because people would say they would not have a decent life and not get married. Similarly, in the past, the Chinese viewed those with deformities as low class and indecent. However, in the present, the view is changing. Due to more knowledge and the view of acceptance spreading, more Chinese people view those with deformities and disabilities respectfully. The harsh criticism has declined. The disabled is shown more empathy compared to years ago.
    Regarding oral health and dentistry, the Chinese people shows ignorance. Back then, the government did not advertise the importance of oral health. The government did not offer programs like in the United States. Dental plans were barely heard of and thus the Chinese did not get message of taking care your teeth is vital. Knowledge of maintaining oral health was not widespread. Many people do not have the habit of getting a cleaning every six months. They would just go to the dentist when they felt pain in their mouth. Currently, knowledge has increased and the Chinese are more aware of the importance of maintaining oral health.
    From personal experience and my values, it is essential to be empathic towards those who have deformities and disabilities. To be sensitive means to understand the person’s challenges. I think about what they have to go through each day with a facial deformity. Relating to “Smile Pinki”, Pinki had classmates calling her offensive names. Speech like that really hurts a person’s feelings. From personal experience, the words we say and how we way has a powerful effect on a person’s feelings. It can build a person up or tear them down. Therefore, I wouldn’t want someone to be insensitive towards me, so I would think before I speak and make sure what I say towards another person does not offend them in any way. I would be sensitive to a person with facial deformities by speaking in a way that does not offend them, especially when making comments about the facial features.

  28. Lijing Chen says:

    Lijing Chen
    DEN 1114 D219
    Prof. Maria Bilello
    09/13/15
    1 What are the valves and beliefs that your culture associates with deformities / disabilities?
    I am from China (a developing country), and we share some similar values and beliefs as the people in India. A person with a disability in China means that person have no future and a decent life. For instance, When I was a first grade student in China, one of my classmate with mentally disabled was treated unequally by peers and teachers. I remember, my teachers separated him with us and always ordered a student who got lowest grade or a naughtiest student in class to sit next to him. In that period, sitting next to him seems like an embarrassed thing for us even he never done anything wrong to us. My classmates would bully him and mock him even hit him. However, my teachers treated these things as air. Later on, I never see him again. In hearsay, he transferred to a school for the mentally retarded. Also, the older generations would blame on the mother that she may have done something wrong during the pregnancy. So, most of people will choose abortion if the fetus having any disability when the baby in his mom’s womb.

    2 What are the values and beliefs that your culture associates with oral health and dentistry?
    In China, people generally do not want to see a dentist. People in China are careless about their oral heath. Most of them don’t floss and brush their teeth twice a day, and 99 percent of people in China never had their teeth clean and teeth whitening in their life. In Chinese tradition, pregnant women cannot brush their teeth after delivery in a month which makes more new mother are getting periodontal disease after puerperal and older people in the family say that if a new mom brush teeth after giving a child birth, she will get stroke later on . Also, the dentist in China only work for rich people because China have no dental insurance for people, but the cost for dental treatment is extremely high. My aunt in China recently got tooth implantation done. She told me that one of her tooth cost 15000 yuan, and she got 3 of them done. However, the average salary in China is 3000 yuan per month. It means that for a white- collar worker to get a tooth implantation done must pay 5 months of his/ her wages, and during in 5 months they can not spent money even a penny. Nowadays, since GDP in China is getting higher, more and more people are beginning to care about his/ her oral health.

    3. Think about facial deformities and personal experiences what does it mean to you to be sensitive to how a person looks (their appearance)?
    Who cares a letter’s envelope? NO. So, why do we need to care about a person’s facial deformities? I believe that everyone is unique, therefore whether a person has a facial deformities or not everyone should be equal, and we have no reason to judge a person by his/ her looks. We must look at inside of a person, but not his/ her “envelope.

  29. ZhengDao says:

    Zhengdao Li
    D219
    September 12th, 2015
    Smile Pinki
    I was born and raised in a small town in southeastern China until my family moved to the U.S. a few years ago. We lived by the bay, a nutrient-rich area where large amounts of fresh seafood were gathered every morning. Locals used to call our own town “The Land of Plenty”. Since we don’t have to pay much of taxes, the mayor, as well as other organizations, set up a charity to reach out to people in need. In our little town, our values and beliefs were very similar, due to our family discipline, religion, and background. When someone is met with any disability or disease, we treat them with extra care and try comfort them in any way possible. Being Chinese, family discipline strictly guides us when facing any circumstances, such as dealing with deformities or disabilities. I have friends that suffer from deformities, something they were born with and have no control over; however, they were never looked down upon by anyone in our town; instead, they were treated better than anyone else. Compared to the video, “Smile Pinki”, most children with cleft lip are afraid to attend school because others may look down on them and call them names. It is understandable that you may have the notion towards someone with deformities or disabilities, it’s the brain’s natural reaction to have a second look at someone different than oneself. It’s hard to control such reaction during adulthood, that’s why when we were young, we were been taught to properly handle situations like such. Those who were born with deformities or develop disabilities usually have low self-esteem and confidence when facing difficulties they cannot overcome, which then leads them to be frustrated whenever they try to do things. This is where charity can play a role. Charities check an individual’s background and interviews him/her, if possible, to find out what field would best suit their abilities. A perfect example would be a friend of mine who was born blind, but with the help of a charity, he was able to make use of his extraordinary music potential. He is now performing countrywide with his band, each of them with their own disabilities. My religion has us to that no one has a disadvantage with disabilities/deformities. One might have a door closed, but God will open another door for him, and with greater potential than anyone else.
    Oral health is one of the things that needs great improvement in my culture. Nevertheless, dentistry involving repair and extraction has been there for a long time. Back in my grandparents’ generation, where they don’t have toothbrush and toothpaste, they used something similar to baking soda to rub their teeth, sometimes with salt water from the bay. Improper cleaning and gum disease are something they have very limited information about. The pain developed from cavity or gingivitis is just something they have to bear with. For grandparents, oral health was not as concerned as their overall health; a healthy body will be the value of healthy oral health. It was not until the generation of our parents, proper toothbrush and toothpaste started to manufacture. Though it helps with the decrease of cavity, people still have no idea why their gingiva are red and bleed often. All they can say is rinse with salt water more often, try to eat more vegetable and fruits, and stay away from red meat. Starting from my generation, with better develop of dentistry, it’s getting better in educating people about oral health. Luckily we have a dentist who came back from aboard with his license, he taught children in school how to take care of the teeth. Though the culture associate with oral health has lacked the value and belief on how important it is toward overall body health back then, now with more people been educated, there soon will be less people suffer from oral pain as well as other problems associated with it.
    As stated above, whether it’s a facial deformities or any other parts of disabilities, we’re all equally treated. Never a person who has deformities should be look down by anyone. When facing with someone with deformities, provide help if needed but in a way they won’t be sensitive to. Should you talk, act and respond to them with respect, treat them as any others. As to me, I think of them as someone with great talent somewhere I may not see, but with all the respect. With my past experience, I saw someone with facial deformities; he helped many others with his hard work, but never asked for a return. For him, I believe he has great confidence in himself, and never be ashamed of how his appearance would be. I believe in treating everyone the same as you would like others to treat you.

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