Satan! Satan! Come And Play.
Emancipated. However Drag the Chain.
Let Blackened Blood Fill Your Vein.
Escape From Thought. Go Insane.
On with the Horns! Masquerade!
Now Rise Like Ash of Burned Cane.– Rise Like Ash of Burned Cane –
Floating Excessive. Past Terrain.
Over Clouds to the Astral Aircraft. The place
Rivers o’ Rum By no means Drain And We
Reap the Harvest Each Day. So
Eat and Drink, Smoke and Slay that
Soca Beat That’s In Your Mind. ‘Trigger
That is The place You’ll Stay – An
Infinite Social gathering with Mates and Flames to
Attain New Highs: It’s Jab’s J’ouvert.– Now Come and Play! –
There’s one thing particular about Grenada. Admittedly, this so-called “Isle of Spice” exports a number of the world’s finest nutmeg, cocoa, cloves, cinnamon, mace, bananas, coconut and unique fruit (together with my absolute favorite: soursop!). And, sure, its scenic landscapes characteristic picturesque seashores and colored homes atop lush hills.
However Grenada is way more. It’s an island that has suffered super battle and trauma over time – from warring factions of Indigenous peoples, French and British colonization, slavery and emancipation, independence and civil battle, a U.S.-led invasion in 1983 to quell a Marxist-Leninist coup d’etat and even Hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Emily (2005).
However regardless of this, the character of Grenadians in the present day is exemplary. They’re a welcoming and vibrant folks (with simply over 100,000 souls). They boast a secure democratic system, a self-reliant and sustainable financial system, comparatively low crime, and an inexpensive price of dwelling. For those who haven’t been, you merely should.
And that’s why, after I’m not getting ready, advertising and marketing and promoting dental practices, I really like organizing annual dental outreach journeys to this lovely Island of angelic folks. However don’t be fooled; devils stay right here, too.
JAB JAB
Once we did our first journey in August 2019, we didn’t know what to anticipate with this new island. At one level, our adventurous group of dentists and hygienists determined to take part in Spicemas – Grenada’s annual carnival celebration.
One occasion, referred to as “Jab Jab” (actually: “Satan Satan”), noticed tens of 1000’s of Grenadians converge on a most important avenue within the capital of St. George’s through the wee morning hours to have a celebration to finish all events. Many dressed like a molasses satan: oiled or painted, donning cattle and goat horns and holding thick chains, consuming and smoking, and dancing to darkish and heavy soca music, which was being blasted from vehicles geared up with large audio system. It. Was. Surreal.
Jab Jab dates again to Grenada’s colonial days. Main as much as Lent, the French ruling class would masquerade in fancy costumes and dance to well-tuned orchestras. Ex-slaves, with restricted means, would exit into the streets to rejoice the festivities, however with a giant twist: they made themselves appear like molasses devils and dance to crude beats they comprised of hitting drums and blowing on conch shells. The aim? To each scare the white colonizers and remind the entire evils that society had inflicted upon them. Jab Jab epitomizes Grenadians’ freedom and so they rejoice proudly.
Miracles
Quick ahead to August 2022.
After a 3-year hiatus as a result of COVID-19, we had been lastly capable of come again to Grenada to provide again to the locals. And we got here again with a vengeance: an enormous group of U of T dental college students (led by Dr. Daniel Biner and his household), Canadian and U.S. dentists, hygienists from Oregon, and help employees had been capable of deal with a whopping 2,018 sufferers after 15 medical days (that’s roughly 2 p.c of the complete inhabitants) with extractions, fillings, cleanings and even root canals. By way of our partnership with Nice Form! Inc. (a U.S. not-for-profit), we had been capable of arrange a 21-operatory dental clinic on the Nationwide Cricket Stadium and smaller clinics on the Sandals Grenada (which graciously hosted our teams totally free) and the adjoining island of Carriacou (which can be a part of Grenada).
And whereas all of the volunteers are tremendous proud to have been capable of assist so many individuals, it’s their tales – their tiny miracles – that made the journey life-altering for these concerned. Listed here are a number of such tales.
Clara Zhou
U of T Dental, Graduating Class of 2024
Dental scholar Clara Zhou’s tiny miracle occurred together with her very first affected person. And it introduced her full-circle.
Clara Zhou (DDS3 Scholar) together with her first and favorite affected person
“Just a little boy was my first and favorite affected person. I gave him a cleansing. He was an absolute pleasure to work together with. We talked about faculty and life. His household and mine. And on the finish of the appointment, he appeared me within the eyes and mentioned, ‘I need to be a dentist. You impressed me. You had been so form to me.’ And my coronary heart simply melted. It jogged my memory of why I went into dentistry: as a toddler, I had loads of cavities (my immigrant mother and father weren’t nicely versed in oral well being care) and my childhood concerned numerous appointments to the paedo clinic on the hospital. I at all times appreciated what others did for me. And now, with this little boy, I noticed myself and I used to be lastly capable of give again.”
Adam Tepperman
U of T Dental, Graduting Class of 2023
Dental scholar Adam Tepperman’s tiny miracle occurred on his very first knowledge tooth extraction:
“It was my first time taking that tooth out. First time utilizing these instruments. And beneath the supervision of Dr. Sunny Sehgal, to my shock, it really went rather well. A sequence of tiny miracles”.
However whereas he relished the accomplishment, he mirrored on the larger image.
“I began to consider the affected person. She made it by way of as nicely. She had a giant supply of an infection eliminated. She will be able to stay life a little bit extra usually. And that’s when all the pieces stood out. As a dental skilled, it’s straightforward to take your work with no consideration – solely as soon as in a blue moon would you do life-altering work. However right here, in Grenada, with each affected person we noticed, all the pieces we did was amplified due to their socio-economic background or lack of oral well being care or schooling. We had been offering tiny miracles for the lots.”
Dr. Amin Alibhai
Oral Surgeon, Ottawa
Kim Perlot (dental hygienist, dental therapist) together with her teammate and oral Surgeon Dr. Amin Alibhai (a.ok.a. simply name me “Amin”).
Dr. Amin Alibhai (or simply “Amin” as he prefers to be referred to as) is an actual salt-of-the-Earth type of man. Extraordinarily humble, however geared up with an incredible skillset. When pressed about what sort of tiny miracle he skilled in Grenada, he talked about his teammates’ complimentary abilities, widespread targets and optimistic attitudes:
“I didn’t know who was going to help me on this journey. So after I was teamed up with Kimmy – a hygienist and dental therapist out of Oregon – it was a tiny miracle. Together with her expanded dental skillset and go-getter angle, we simply clicked. We ran three dental chairs concurrently, doing complicated extractions for grateful sufferers. And after we had been ready for extra extraction sufferers, we stored busy: I’d discuss to fellow restorative dentists about sufferers they may refer over to us for extractions whereas Kimmy cleaned little children’ enamel. Out of the 2 of us, Kimmy was the true rock star.”
Dr. Kosta Abate
GP, Toronto
Dr. Abate isn’t Grenadian, however she would possibly as nicely be. Her love affair with Grenada led her to spend weeks there doing dental mission journeys from 2012 to 2014 with NYU dental faculty (which included doing sealants on 14,000 kids). Heck, earlier than she arrived on the island, she already knew greater than everybody else about Grenada (even the organizers)!
Dr. Kostantina Abate likes the CAD$12k Trihawk Bur Donation! Thank You Trihawk and Gustel Fischer!
Dr. Abate’s miracle was evident for everybody on the clinic. It’s not what she noticed; it’s what she did that others noticed. It got here down on the finish to a 15-year-old woman. Her father, a janitor with restricted means who labored on the Nationwide Cricket Stadium, introduced her to our clinic after we had been carried out and packing up till 2023. This lovely little woman had been in ache for years and wanted her higher entrance enamel handled instantly: deep carries in her 11, 12, 21, and 22 required 3 endos and 4 everlasting fillings.
Per Dr. Abate: “It was a human tragedy. She was going to lose her higher enamel and find yourself with no entrance enamel from her teenage years”. However with our 3 week program ending, there was nothing we may do.
Till Dr. Abate’s miracle occurred: “Screw it. We’re doing this. What’s 3 hours of my time for principally years of smiles for this little woman?” And with that, Dr. Abate got here up with a plan to save lots of this little woman’s smile. The plan concerned us packing up a conveyable x-ray unit, gathering endo supplies, and bringing an assistant (Len Liang) to Grenada’s chief dental surgeon’s (Dr. Julie Du Bois) dental clinic on a Saturday – i.e. Dr. Abate’s and Mr. Liang’s time without work.
The consequence: nothing wanting a miracle. An enormous, vibrant, lovely smile on a teenage woman that may hopefully final with correct care.
PR Supervisor, Sandals Grenada Deleon Forrester (aka “Mom to All”) holding a affected person’s child so the affected person may be seen
Conclusion
For those who haven’t carried out a dental mission journey, take into account coming all the way down to Grenada or different Caribbean islands with DMC and expertise your personal tiny miracles. And in the event you occur to go to Grenada throughout Jab Jab, be ready to satisfy some devils – or higher but, play as one!
Concerning the Creator
Michael Carabash, BA, LLB, JD, MBA, CDPM is a founding accomplice of DMC LLP, Canada’s largest dental-only regulation agency that helps dentists promote and purchase practices in Ontario. Michael leads DMC’s annual Caribbean dental mission journeys (Grenada, Jamaica, and Turks) Michael is now organizing Sint Maarten and Philippines dental outreach journeys for 2023. Michael may be reached at michael@dentistlawyers.ca or 647.680.9530.
