Local grad wants to whiten third-world teeth
Local grad wants to whiten third-world teeth
12:01 a.m. PT Jan 5, 2007Original Article
Papa, 26 and a 1998 Bear River High School graduate, discovered the people of the basin from 1999 to 2001 when he was a Mormon missionary in South America.
"Everybody's mouth was decayed," Papa said of his first impression there. "Soda is the safest thing to drink down there, and it eats their teeth. No one owns a toothbrush, and no one connects brushing with (a lack of) pain."
In Bolivia, Papa said, "the natives chew on coca leaves (to get high and work long periods without eating), and that destroys their teeth. Some chew it with baking soda and that helps, but others' teeth are green from it."
When Papa returned to Grass Valley, he decided he was going to do something about it.
On March 23, he leaves for Brazil, northern Bolivia and southeastern Bolivia to give seminars on dental care basics.
Papa is asking area dentists to contribute to the cost of the trip and supplies such as toothbrushes.
He's setting up a nonprofit to continue his efforts once he completes his last year of dental school at University of California, Davis.
"I've never been a fan of just giving money out, but to teach people how to do something (and to pass it on) is good," Papa said.
Mission experience
Papa learned to live and work with the South Americans during his mission there, building flood canals around homes and cutting people's hair. Most missionaries and others doing humanitarian work in the area go to La Paz and Cochabama, Bolivia, because there's no malaria, and it is safer than the jungle, Papa said.
"People are afraid of being uncomfortable," Papa said of the jungle. "That's why they don't go down there."
But Papa loves the jungle and will go right back where he was on his mission. Theft is rampant, but no one steals face-to-face.
The last time Papa was there, "the people in town caught a burglar." They had all been recently ripped off, "So the whole town came together and beat him up," Papa said.
Police are often ineffective or not around, "so the only civil intervention is mob violence," Papa said.
Papa said he isn't worried about his safety. He has two years of experience in the area already and is fluent in Spanish. His father, Raymond Papa, has taught the language at Nevada Union High School for more than 25 years.
The aspiring dentist hopes to bring others into his non-profit to continue his work.
"There's definitely a need," Papa said. "I'd like to be able to tell students 'Hey, you can do this through your local town. I'll already have the contact people and towns set up.
"It would be cool to go down every year when I'm a dentist and get other predental students to go with me," Papa said.
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To contact Senior Staff Writer Dave Moller, e-mail davem@theunion.com or call 477-4237.
How to donate
You can find out more about Cedric Papa and his program to teach dental hygiene to residents of the Amazon River Basin, and contribute to the non-profit organization he is forming for the work, by calling 916-718-8732 or online at spreading smiles.photos.home pagenow.com.
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