Fairfield-Based Kids First Pediatric Dentistry Completes Guatemala Mission of Mercy

Fairfield, CT - In the service business, a friendly, helpful nature is certainly an asset. But when you take those assets, stir in a big dose of compassion and transport them to another place to assist people in need, you are really epitomizing service. 

Such was the case recently with a team from Kids First Pediatric Dentistry, based in Downtown Fairfield, who traveled to the remote town of Esquipulas, Guatemala to provide a week (Oct. 20-27) of free dental care to local people there. The team was led by Dr. Greg Mokotoff, DMD, one of the partners at Kids First, and Pam Wolf, CDA. Joining them were seven other colleagues -- and all funded the airfare and local accommodations out of their own pockets. In all, they treated 602 people, ages one to 65, including a 22-year-old whose 32 teeth were completely decayed, posed a serious health risk and had to be extracted.

Dr. Greg, as he is known around the office, had done one other mercy mission like this before, to Haiti. He found the experience rewarding and, so, when he attended a Mission of Mercy two-day annual free dental clinic in Torrington, CT this past April, and expressed his desire to tackle another one, Guatemala was suggested. "I mentioned to Dr. Brad Heim, a Glastonbury dentist and one of the founders fifteen years ago of Mission of Mercy, that I wanted to do a Fall mission trip," explained Dr. Greg. "Brad said he was going to Guatemala and suggested I join him." Dr. Greg then recruited office staff.

Two groups coordinated the logistics of the trip: Dentists Donating Services (DDS) and Cocina de Amor (translated to Kitchen of Love). They saw to it that Dr. Greg and his staff received three meals a day through the local clinic as an offset to the travel expense and thank you for the staff's work, which centered around triage.

Cocina de Amor was started by Pastor Jose Alvarez, who first started helping people locally by providing meals to the homeless in Guatemala City -- just the basics. But then he began to integrate education and health care, to both feed local people and lift them up, as a means to help break the cycle of poverty there.

"This was not just a mission of dentistry for us, but one of love, compassion and dignity," said Pam.

"We aimed to do the most good for the most number of people in the amount of time allotted with the number of providers we had," added Dr. Greg. "It aligns with with our aim to be a community service oriented organization."

Kids First provide Pediatric Dentistry to children ages 0 through college, and Orthodontics, through First Impressions, for both kids and adults. Kids First and First Impressions are both located at 1478 Post Road, Fairfield, CT. 203-255-6851. www.kidsfirstdentistry.com