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Newark Dentist Michael Adsit travels to Ghana to treat the dental problems in villages days off the beaten path

Dr. Adsit working on a Ghana patient without electricity and the equipment it could provide.

When Michael Adsit was young, like many children he needed braces to straighten out wandering teeth. Unlike most children, who rue the months of discomfort and mouth hardware that leads to social acceptance, Michael was awakened to the art of the dental world.

Without much prompting or family background in the world of teeth, Michael attended R.I.T. in Rochester for 4 years before attending the University of Buffalo for an addition four years of dental school. Another year of residency led to his graduation in 2005.

It was while attending UB that Michael was introduced to the problems of third world countries and the lack of dental care. Sure, Americans read about medical doctors travelling overseas to aid the infirmed, but what about a toothache? The simple solution to dental problems was self-extraction of teeth to resolve an ache, or decay. Other forms of dental problems simply went without the aid of a dentist, rare in such places as the outlying villages of Africa, or the remote parts of South America .

While still a senior at UB, Michael volunteered for a unique program with College professor Renzo Nylander. Along with several other doctors and medical students, the group headed for Nalerigu , Ghana , located on the west side of the African continent.

Paying their own way, the group travelled to outskirt villages and provided dental services with the few tools and medicine that no electricity and the lack of modern conveniences would allow. The traveling doctors exited planes enduring 100º+ heat. Often services were provided in crude buildings or outside as people swarmed from miles around as word spread.

Tooth extractions were the most common practice. As for Michael, he loved the experience, so much that he returned again in 2006.

What the Ghana government had learned over the years was that sending their own students abroad to learn the craft and art of dentistry did not work. Once trained, the students rarely returned to service their homeland. In the mid 1990s, the government established their own dental college at the medical school located in the Country's capital city of Accra .

Working in harsh conditions, often outside in sweltering heat, the volunteer dental crew often performed only the basic of oral hygiene services in Ghana

This year, Michael is departing with yet another group of UB doctors and medical students. His goal is to teach a fluoride rinse program throughout the schools. The idea behind this program is to start with school age children to prevent the tooth decay and oral maladies before adulthood. The program has been introduced in other third world countries with outstanding success.

At a personal cost of between $2500 to $3000 and a full day in transit, Michael will leave his Clark Road , Newark practice from March 13th to the 24th. Dr. Adsit bought the established dental practice of retiring Dr. Neal Johnson, beginning work in Newark right after graduation and finally taking over this past June. It is the close bond with Dr. Johnson that allows Michael to take his excursions to third world countries while Neal fills in at home.

Africa is not the only third world continent to swap experiences with the young Dr. Adsit. In his senior year at UB Michael also traveled to Honduras in South America , again visiting remote villages and performing basic dental services to 150 patients over a 2 week period. This year, under a Highland Hospital program, Michael will travel to Guatemala , again paying his own way.

Dentists, or the general public may wish to contribute supplies or money that will be used for the South American excursion. Any contributions collected will go directly to equipment, medicines, and especially the fluoride packets used in the fluoride rinse programs for schools. For more information, call Dr. Michael Adsit at (315) 331-6232.