Brazil Feb/March 2007 Day 3

We had patients again all day today.  The techniques we used were the same as the previous day but some groups came across problems and it was valuable to see how they were solved.  Marcelo solved a case where a lot of gum had grown over the implants.  I would have solved it with a scalpel but Marcelo showed us a way of adapting the transfer components to get around it that way.

Group photo on the clinic

I had thought that I might take some Portuguese lessons while I am here if we had time.  There is no need.  Everyone is so enthusiastic about helping me that the whole day is like one long Portuguese lesson.  I'm starting to have very low level conversations with the patients and staff and everyone is helping me to build on that.

Kelly is being really helpful about me learning Portuguese

Mohammed and Dr Vani

There is a slight mosquito problem here which hasn't affected me at all as yet.  I haven't even seen or felt one.  However some of the others are suffering, particularly Raj and Margaret.  I like to have the air conditioning on all night despite the noise. The noise doesn't bother me but the air conditioning might be bothering the mosquitos.  Also insects have never found me very appetising.  They seem to finding Margaret and Raj very tasty though.  Raj has had his room fumigated.

The Dental Students were on the clinic today. They all have to wear white which looks very cool

Head nurse Mona Lisa

We have a day off on Saturday and there has been some discussion about what we do with it. A trip to Rio de Janeiro has been suggested but Dr Vani and others have told us that it is just too dangerous and violent.  That seems to have done the trick and we definitely aren't going now.  The prospect of a three hour minibus trip also puts me off.  The memory of the minibus journey here on the night we arrived is still fairly fresh.

Kelly helps Margaret and Deirdre with a patient

I had a long discussion with Arianne today about our languages.  Her English is very good indeed.  She helped me with some queries about Portuguese and I showed her some of the oddities of the English language such as through, rough and plough.

Me and Arianne talking about language

A photo for the dental readers - Marcelo had done something called a "buccal roll" here to bulk out the gum on the outside.  This is a very good result

Here Raj is being assisted by Dr Primo.  He's a great guy.

In the evening Raj and I looked through his practice leaflets which he is working on while he is here.  I gave away some of my best copy writing tricks and didn't even ask for a commission. We then ended the day with a discussion about the confusion of terms in the subject of occlusion.  Raj doesn't recognise any confusion though.  He's just correct apparently.

Thanks for visiting the site.  More tomorrow.