When Michael Adsit was growing up in Boonville, NY, his dream was to become an Air
Force pilot. “Something about flying always gave me a thrill,” he said. But those
dreams quickly faded. Adsit was born with a hearing loss that requires the use of
hearing aids. His less-than-perfect hearing disqualified him from fulfilling his childhood
dream.
Like many of his schoolmates, he also required full-banded orthodontics. But unlike
other youngsters, Adsit found his orthodontic experience to be an art form and his
orthodontist a craftsman. From that point on, “I was hooked,” he said, “and I thought
for sure I would some day become an orthodontist.”
At the University of Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, Adsit was introduced to general
dentistry. “It is the artistic side that has made me so passionate about being a general
dentist,” he said. “I couldn’t be more proud of my choice. I never realized how much
art is involved in improving one’s appearance, through the combination of all of the
disciplines in dentistry.”
While still a dental student, Adsit began traveling to third world countries to work with
other students and dentists who had volunteered to bring oral health care to patients
who would otherwise be without. On one trip, he worked with Dr. Donald Hayes, in
Patzun, Guatemala, where Hayes set up a dental clinic at a convent. He was also
instrumental in helping the Franciscan nuns there build a school with supplies he and his
friends purchased. The parents did the construction. “This trip to Guatemala really got
me fired up to social issues involving dentistry and doing what’s best for mankind,”
Adsit said.
Adsit’s second mission took him to Ghana, West Africa, where he, four dentists and
five other dental students delivered oral surgery services out in the bush. The team
traveled from village to village, offering dental services, but only after explaining to the
village chief that they were there for the sole purpose of helping his people. They set
up portable camping chairs, gave anesthesia to patients in pain and extracted infected
teeth.
In May of 2006, Adsit met up with Dr. Frank Carberry in San Jose de San Marcos,
Honduras. That was when Adsit realized something critical was missing from all of his
previous trips: prevention. Carberry and Adsit worked together for two weeks, during
which they saw more than 150 patients and implemented a fluoride rinse program. “Dr.
Carberry taught me that in high enough doses, fluoride will interfere with the ability of
bacteria, such as Streptococcus Mutans, to produce lactic acid and remineralize tooth
decay. Fluoride is dirt cheap and can help thousand of kids,” Adsit said.
This past March, Adsit traveled with a group of health care practitioners to a hospital in
Ghana and stayed in a hostel. In three days, they extracted well over 200 teeth and did
over 40 fillings and sealants. Dr. Adsit’s primary responsibility was to implement the
fluoride rinse program and screen school children. This year, he has been able to treat
2,500 school children with the fluoride rinse that sponsors have provided. School
instructors assured him they would continue the fluoride rinses every week until he
visits again next year, a promise that makes Adsit very proud and hopeful.
Force pilot. “Something about flying always gave me a thrill,” he said. But those
dreams quickly faded. Adsit was born with a hearing loss that requires the use of
hearing aids. His less-than-perfect hearing disqualified him from fulfilling his childhood
dream.
Like many of his schoolmates, he also required full-banded orthodontics. But unlike
other youngsters, Adsit found his orthodontic experience to be an art form and his
orthodontist a craftsman. From that point on, “I was hooked,” he said, “and I thought
for sure I would some day become an orthodontist.”
At the University of Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, Adsit was introduced to general
dentistry. “It is the artistic side that has made me so passionate about being a general
dentist,” he said. “I couldn’t be more proud of my choice. I never realized how much
art is involved in improving one’s appearance, through the combination of all of the
disciplines in dentistry.”
While still a dental student, Adsit began traveling to third world countries to work with
other students and dentists who had volunteered to bring oral health care to patients
who would otherwise be without. On one trip, he worked with Dr. Donald Hayes, in
Patzun, Guatemala, where Hayes set up a dental clinic at a convent. He was also
instrumental in helping the Franciscan nuns there build a school with supplies he and his
friends purchased. The parents did the construction. “This trip to Guatemala really got
me fired up to social issues involving dentistry and doing what’s best for mankind,”
Adsit said.
Adsit’s second mission took him to Ghana, West Africa, where he, four dentists and
five other dental students delivered oral surgery services out in the bush. The team
traveled from village to village, offering dental services, but only after explaining to the
village chief that they were there for the sole purpose of helping his people. They set
up portable camping chairs, gave anesthesia to patients in pain and extracted infected
teeth.
In May of 2006, Adsit met up with Dr. Frank Carberry in San Jose de San Marcos,
Honduras. That was when Adsit realized something critical was missing from all of his
previous trips: prevention. Carberry and Adsit worked together for two weeks, during
which they saw more than 150 patients and implemented a fluoride rinse program. “Dr.
Carberry taught me that in high enough doses, fluoride will interfere with the ability of
bacteria, such as Streptococcus Mutans, to produce lactic acid and remineralize tooth
decay. Fluoride is dirt cheap and can help thousand of kids,” Adsit said.
This past March, Adsit traveled with a group of health care practitioners to a hospital in
Ghana and stayed in a hostel. In three days, they extracted well over 200 teeth and did
over 40 fillings and sealants. Dr. Adsit’s primary responsibility was to implement the
fluoride rinse program and screen school children. This year, he has been able to treat
2,500 school children with the fluoride rinse that sponsors have provided. School
instructors assured him they would continue the fluoride rinses every week until he
visits again next year, a promise that makes Adsit very proud and hopeful.
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To keep this new feature interesting we need your help. There are plenty of dental heroes and heroines out there, but we need your help
in recognizing them. Let us know, simply by e-mailing us that person's name, contact information and, briefly, why you think he/she
should be recognized. We'll follow up and do the rest.
in recognizing them. Let us know, simply by e-mailing us that person's name, contact information and, briefly, why you think he/she
should be recognized. We'll follow up and do the rest.
 |
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Albany, New York 12211
ph: 518-465-0044
fax: 518-465-3219
alt: 800-255-2100
nysdf@nysdental.org
Terms and Conditions / Privacy Policy
