Janet Encalade and her son Dr. Grant Encalade spent their foreign vacation on their feet all day in humid 103 degree temperatures. They can’t wait to do it again.
Encalade, who lives in Bridge City, is a dental hygienist for Green and Dileo Dentistry in Orange. She recently went as the only hygienist on a dental mission to Cholecta, Honduras, with seven dentists. That included Dr. Encalade, a dentist in Austin, who is a 2009 Bridge City High graduate.
“I’ve always wanted to go on a mission, but the timing wasn’t right,” she said. Grant said, “To have this opportunity was awesome. To do it with my mom, was even better and an experience I’ll never forget.”
Hanging out with his mom throughout her career, as well as getting to know the dentists she has worked with, inspired Grant to go into dentistry. Even though he knows no one likes to see a dentist. “Yes I know no one likes to see the dentist. But these people have had pain for months. They traveled a long way and stood in long lines. And even with the pain we may have had to put them through, they always wanted to hug us after we were through.”
Grants girlfriend, who is also a dentist, is the daughter of dentist Dr. Jane Weatherbee of Abilene. Dr. Weatherbee has worked with a mission in the small town for several years and supports it all year long. It’s called “United With The Same Love” or “Unidos Con El Mismo Amor.”
Encalade estimates she saw 80 patients during the week she was there. “There’s a lot of children with bad teeth,” she said. “They eat a lot of fruit and drink a lot of fruit juice, which is healthy, but it has a lot of sugar.”
Grant said overall the dentists saw 450 patients in about four and a half days. “My mom saw 28 in one day by herself. She was a trooper.”
The group also brought lots of toothpaste and toothbrushes. A man who spoke Spanish helped demonstrate the proper way to brush and keep good dental care.
In addition, the group brought clothes, underwear, and other supplies to help. Encalade said Dr. Weatherbee sends things to the town all through the year. A small church has been built to support the mission.
The heat reached 103 in the daytime and the dental team sweated through their work. But Encalade said she didn’t mind it. They had air conditioning at a hotel where they were staying at night.
Grant added, “We had two retired dental techs who kept things running. Their equipment wasn’t the best and the compressors kept overheating and other things broke down but they kept us going.”
Mom was impressed by the people. “They have the absolute basics and they are thankful,” she said. “They depend on God and they are happy for what they have.”
Everyone was appreciative of the care the dental team provided, she said. The team, though, came with the biggest reward.
“We feel like they blessed us,” she said. “They taught us as much as we taught them.”
-Margaret Toal, KOGT-
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