In this issue:
Laboratory Portrait: Lynda Anderegg, RDA – Technical Advisor, Fixed Department, Glidewell Laboratories
article by Kim Watkins
Lynda Anderegg photo by Kevin Keithley
Dental Care for Children’s photos, ©2006 Ray Sanford
A cold concrete floor. Poor lighting. Old equipment. Despite these makeshift conditions, the volunteers work on. They have traveled hundreds of miles to get here, to this little orphanage in Maneadero, Mexico. Here, children have come to anticipate these biannual visits from their friends across the border.
This is the work of Dental Care for Children. Founded by Dr. Chuck Tozzer some 15 years ago, the mission of this nonprofit group is to bring quality dental care to less fortunate children across Mexico. This is the work of Lynda Anderegg, a Glidewell Laboratories technical advisor for the Fixed Department.
A clinical assistant for more than 30 years, Lynda was ready for a change. While working at a practice in Mission Viejo, California, Lynda read a classified ad in the newspaper that asked, “Tired of chairside?” She answered to herself, “Yes!” With that, her career at Glidewell Laboratories began. That was last December.
When Lynda made the move to Glidewell, she brought with her a passion for volunteerism. She made connections at the lab and began to network with others in her department — and caught the attention of Jim Glidewell himself.
On her next trip to Mexico, in March, Glidewell Laboratories’ products and services were part of the program. Glidewell donated its Capture Impression Material to aid in the clinical procedures performed by the Dental Care for Children volunteers. In addition, Glidewell fabricated approximately six product cases for the children treated in Mexico.
Volunteers — dental assistants, dentists and others — see children ages 3–18 twice a year for dental checkups. The children have fillings (composites and amalgams) placed. The crew takes impressions for services such as crowns, veneers and removables. Dr. Tozzer returns to the orphanage several weeks later to seat the completed cases. At this point, most of the children have good dentition, Lynda says.
For many volunteers like Lynda, a bond with the young patients is formed.
“Many of the kids never get adopted out,” Lynda said. But there is hope. “Some of the boys have completed their education and have actually been accepted to American universities. It just warms your heart to see these underprivileged kids make something of their lives,” she added.
Now that some of the children have grown and their dentition improved, the Dental Care volunteers make time to treat the orphanage staff and family members. In total, $28,580 in dental services was provided during the March 2006 trip to Maneadero.
Lynda, who resides in La Habra, California, with her 22-year-old daughter, wants to expand into even more volunteer work. “I’d really like to see emphasis and publicity on the local level,” Lynda says. She loves the work but concedes that, at times, it isn’t easy. “Sometimes we have to use flashlights because the lighting isn’t sufficient,” she said. “Sometimes we laugh about, ‘How are we going to do this?’ But we get it done.”
The hard work of Dental Care for Children is gaining attention. On May 12, Dr. Tozzer and Dental Care for Children were recognized by the Soroptomist Club of Huntington Beach. As for Glidewell’s contribution to his program, Dr. Tozzer was “delighted.”
“Dr. Tozzer thanks Glidewell from the bottom of his heart,” Lynda says.
To learn more about Dental Care for Children, or to make a donation, visit dentalcareforchildren.org.
