¡Barça Barça Baaarça!

My first week in Barcelona was incredible! After a long flight, I quickly found my way to our intern group and met my roommates for the first time. We were driven to an apartment in Sants where we have already made so many memories in this short span of time. While my three roommates head to school every morning, I have different experiences everyday as an intern in the dental clinic:

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As the free intern at Tingsvall & McCarthy International Dental Clinic (http://tingsvall-mccarthy.com/), I carry out much of the administrative side of the clinic such as sorting files and booking appointments. Additionally, the dental hygienist, Elena, and I have been giving educational seminars for the elementary school children at various international schools. I offer our small seminar to other schools in the neighborhood to boost our presence in the community and educate the future generations on preventative dental care. We recently went to Kensington and had amazing interactions with the children using Elena’s “Timmy the Tooth” story.

Kensington Hygiene Seminar with Elena

In my free time, I observe Dr. Tingsvall and Elena at work. Dr. Tingsvall is a sweet man with a nostalgia for the past yet thorough enjoyment in the present. His procedures reflect his personality and always have comfortable and friendly atmosphere as a result. On the other hand, Elena represents her New Yorkian heritage well with her personality. She loves everything organic and natural, going as far as collaborating with a local pharmacist to make herb rinses for specific dental issues (eg. gum recession, sensitivity, acute gum bleeding). But her procedures contradict the strong personality she carries. Elena, like Dr. Tingsvall, enjoys conversing with her patients but has a more calming and relaxing atmosphere. I have not experienced a cleaning from her yet but she always says that there’s “something extra special” about her cleanings. Unlike the hygienists in America, she has committed herself to only one clinic and plans to continue her practice alongside her product brand, NaturSmile. I truly look forward to the next two months I will be working under Stefan & Elena.

Elena Maria McCarthy, RDH

Dr. Stefan Tingsvall, DDS

Actually, I graduated about two months ago from Washington University in St Louis and will be attending Baylor College of Dentistry this fall. It was incredible to travel across the country on interviews. Though I attended undergraduate school out-of-state, I felt my capability grow with the flights and preparations required to attend all the interviews. Curiously, most of my fellow interviewees were women (except in Arizona, for some reason). It is true that dentistry provides a greater advantage than most careers in its work hours and self-employment benefits. However, the general familial relationship that grows between dentist and patient might have appealed to women even more. Certainly, in my case, this special bond was the jumpstart to my serious consideration of dentistry as my future profession.

Regardless of the reason, I am entering a profession with a large variety of specialities. However, I will be practicing in a developed country that continues to ignore the importance of oral healthcare. For example, the CDC shows that over a fifth of the adults in America have untreated dental caries (link). These shocking numbers make me appreciate the work of the St Louis dentists who started Give Kids a Smile and other professional dentists who dedicate time to the community. I hope to one day make an impression in public health dentistry and empower the community to prevent serious dental problems such as caries.

Pre-Dental Seminar at Grace Hill