MAY 5, 1978 PAGI? 9
Dental Visit Shouldn't Be Unnerving
No matter how friendly and
assuring a dentist is, most of us
carry fears that were instilled in
us as children. That first visit to
the dentist was totally humili
ating. Even though your teeth
are freshly brushed, you know
for sure that the dentist will find
traces of the candy bar you ate
three weeks ago.
Some dentists appear to be
quite cruel, filling our gaping
mouths with strange instru
ments, then asking a question
for an answer. I t’s always at
that time, instruments and all,
that you feel your comments on
an issue just might change the'
flow of the economy or world
affairs.
There is a new and friendly
face that you’ve probably notic
ed at the PHS dental clinic
recently if you’ve been brave
enough to walk through the
doors. That face belongs to
Wayne Schultz, our new dentist.
The tall and mustachioed
dentist arrived in Warm Springs
about three months ago, after
coming from Redlands, Califor
nia, where he, his wife, and two
little girls, lived while he attend
ed Loma Linda School of Den
tistry. Schultz is a native O re -'
gonian, spending most of his
childhood years in the Corvallis
area.
Schultz graduated from Walla
Walla College in 1973 where he
studied Medical Technology. He
served as a Medical Technolo
gist for two years at Portland
Adventist hospital. Then in 1974,
he decided to attend Loma Linda
Upon graduation, Schultz ap
plied and was accepted to serve
in Warm Springs.
Dentists, like all profession
als, have private lives, too.
Schultz is as industrious off the
job as he is on. He has a private
pilot’s license, but since his
arrival here, has not had the
opportunity to do any flying. He
also enjoys the outdoors, listing
down-hill and cross-country ski-
“Is this the bombed out one?” asked Harold Pennington while he
and Dr. Schultz examined x-rays of his teeth at a recent visit to the
Indian Health Service dental clinic.
CDS Photo
ing, and camping as his favorite:
When the dentist and his family
moved to Warm Springs, they
had an ordinary looking van.
Now, that same van is a model
of perfection as the Schultz
family has installed four tinted
windowsr and is presently im
Health Service
Planning Evaluated
Having just recently spent a
couple of days here at Warm
Springs, Lititia Kirk and Alan
Ham are Conducting a study to
evaluate the Portland Area Ind
ian Health Service Planning
Process. The study began De
cember 1977, and will be com
pleted November 1978.
The Northwest Portland
Area Indian Health Board which
has commissioned the study, is a
federally recognized, non-profit
advisory board which exists to
represent the Northwest tribes
on health matters. The board is
responsible to the Portland Area
Indian Health Service.
The study will examine the
Portland Area Office Planning
Process, and find out what
criteria, statistics, and input
the office uses when planning.
Information will be sought from
Indian Health Service organiza
tions on the national level, but
“the most important part will be
gathering consumer input.”
Kirk (Evaluation Coordina
tor) and Ham (Assistant Evalu
ator) will visit all Pacific North
west Tribes to see the effective
ness, efficiency and deficiencies
of the planning process current
ly employed by the Portland
Area IHS. This will involve
studying the communication
pattern from IHS Headquarters
to Portland Area Office, IHS to
proving on the interior, adding
carpeting,paneling and a Couch.
There are potentially 2,000
dental patients at Warm Springs,
but the Portland Area office
feels that only 60 per cent of the
2,000 are readily taking advant
age of the PHS dental services.
Presently, PHS is focusing on
children, but in the near future,
Schultz hopes to work in family
groups. “Right now, we’re try
ing to get the parents involved
with the dental care of their
children. We require parents to
accompany children to their
first visit. At this time we show
the parents their children’s
teeth. They are often shocked at
what they see. We also get the
medical release that is required
for us to do the work that is
necessary.”
Schultz commented that
four year-olds are much easier
to work on than ten year-olds,
especially if that four year-old
harbors no ill feelings about
visiting the dentist. Schultz
hopes to help eliminate the
chance of creating such fears.
“ When, a four year old child
comes in and he’s scared, I
know that the fear is from his
parents. But, if the ch ild'is
relaxed, we try to make that
first visit as pleasant as possi
ble. The first visit makes them
or breaks them.”
It is advised that the word
“ h u rt” not be mentioned in a
dentist’s office. One cannot lie to
a child when pain is involved. If
a child is not informed that
something is going to hurt, he
will panic. That makes for a
very bad f i r s t impression.
Schultz uses many adjectives to
describe any injections that
might be necessary. “ Pinch” ,
“tickle” , or “ pull on y o u r
cheek”, are just a few.
One general practitioner in
Madras has a subtle way of
relaxing hitf dental patients.
While waiting, one cannot hear
the drills and other machines
running. Although very clean,
his office reminds one of their
living room, with comfortable
chairs, couches and magazines
to read. There is one other
added touch that helps one to
forget all troubles and that is the
music coming from the FM
radio.
After one is escorted into
one of many chairs, one can
view birds feeding and bathing
outside. His “ back yard” is
picturesque, with flowering trees
and numerous perennials. The
whole idea of the music, flowers
and birds is to relax a patient, so
much so that when the dentist is
ready to work, the patient often
has to be awakened from a deep
sleep.
Schultz advises the use of
any flouride toothpaste. Child
ren, especially need that added
protection against b a c te ria
which causes tooth decay. All
adult teeth are cavity free when
they come in, but only when they
are exposed to bacteria, over a
long period of time, do cavities
develop. However, flouride
toothpaste does very little to
inhibit decay in adult teeth.
“Just keep your teeth as clean
as possible and brush often,”
says the PHS dentist.
With the possibility of fill
ings, gold crowns and extrac
tions, one can feel proud and
satisfied that their constant
daily care has paid off. The
average cost of an exam, clean
ing and one filling is $55 and a
gold crown costs about $150, but
with porcelain on that same gold
crown, the cost is $200.
After all the work is done,
patients give a sigh of relief, but
noting that in six months or so,
the dentist should be revisited.
Hopefully, though, on that visit,
the dentist will Say “No cavities,
just have them cleaned and we’ll
see you again in six months.”
Kah-Nee-Ta Employees Form Association
Service Units, and to the con
sumer.
“The importance of evalua
tion is that it is the key to future
improved planning,” said Ham
in a recent news release. “Bet
ter planning there should raise
the health status of the Ameri
can Indians to a higher level,”
he noted.
“Some of the questions we
will be asking the Portland Area
Office, Headquarters, Service
Units and consumers are: How
do yoh see your role and func
tion? What are your priorities?
What are current problems?
What is your involvement? How
are'problems currently solved?
What are the problems of com
munication? How are j>lans of
IHS being implemented? How
are services provided and to
whom? What is the quality of
services provided? How does the
Indian community accept and
relate to these services?” asks
Ham,
Kirk and Ham are request
ing comments and input from
the community and health per
sonnel, and will appreciate sug
gestions of any kind. Write or
call them at the Indian Health
Board, 1501 Standard Plaza, 1100
S.W. Sixth Avenue, Portland,
Oregon, 97204. The phone numb
er is 228-4185.
At their last employee meet
ing at Kah-Nee-Ta it was de
cided to form an association
with officers. As a result Andy
Lucas was elected President of
the group, Brian Miker Vice
President, Cathy Browden Se
cretary, Sharon Berry Treasur
er and Ron Harmon Sergeant at
Arms.
Lucas appointed Danny
Martinez and Dennis Andrews to
serve as co-chairmen for the
sports committee. Their duties
will require them to plan sports
activities for the association.
There have been several
complaints about the lack of
activity during the employees
leisure time, so the group will
plan events such as sports,
social functions. Volleyball, bad
minton, softball are some of the
sport activities. The social
events could involve picnics or
just whatever the group wants,
Lucas said.
“ Looking for deer” , Effie Culpus and several Headstart children danced to recorded
Southwestern songs. April 26 was “Indian Day” for the Early Childhood Development program. The
children daneed at the social hall in the Community Center and later hosted 300 people at the longhouse
at their annual root feast, which featured roots that the children dug themselves.