For these volunteers, smiles come as rewards for work

By John Serfustini

In addition to all of its high-profile problems, the opioid epidemic is slowly and quietly ruining teeth.
“Narcotic analgesics cause xerostomia – drying of the mouth – and saliva naturally cleans teeth,” explains Price dentist Paul Martinez. With the loss of cleansing saliva, opioid use will lead to a higher incidence of cavities and tooth extractions.
It’s not just a cosmetic problem. “It’s tough to see people who are in constant pain,” he says. “Sometimes they’re in such pain they almost get used to it. It really affects me.”
They also come down with all manner of infections that can affect the whole body.
Martinez, his staff and a handful of volunteer prosthodontic professionals have seen enough misery and are working out of Martinez’s office this week to counteract the situation.
They’re making and installing dentures for several dozen people who have lost their teeth and cannot afford to replace them. “It’s not a handout, it’s a hand up for them,” Martinez says. “They’ve found jobs, they’re working.”
Four Corners Community Behavioral Health has referred the patients to him.
Martinez is joined this week by three out-of-state members of the Academy of Prosthodontics Outreach Program: Ed Piekavich, Jim DeBoer and Geoff Thompson. Justin Hansen of Denture Express in Helper and Steve Grass of Express Dental in Salt Lake have also volunteered.
Thompson, who teaches at Marquette University’s School of Dentistry and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics, has been traveling to do this volunteer work for 10 years.
It’s a life-saving effort for him. “Bad teeth can take years off of life,” he explains. It’s a matter of nutrition and physiology. Then there’s a quality of life issue: “It’s tough to get a job with bad teeth.”
Members of the Academy’s Outreach Program have served mainly in Native American communities across the American Southwest and in Alaska, Wyoming and Nebraska.
The program is supported by individual and corporate donors.
Martinez hopes that the program will be able to expand its volunteer services to other rural communities. He’s also hoping the Utah Legislature will be able to allocate some funds for the effort.
The money’s not for him – he can afford some pro bono work – but for technicians and suppliers. He’d also like to see other health care providers get involved.
A few cases per provider per year could get a handle on the situation in five or six years, he estimates.
Continuing care worked in Montezuma Creek with Native Americans, he says. A few years of work there led to a reduction in the severity of problems, with most patients coming in for adjustments.