The father of orphans and the defender of widows is God in his holy dwelling. God gives a home to the forsaken; he leads forth prisoners to prosperity. // Psalm 68:6-7
Delivery day is my favorite day around the clinic.
At the community health clinic where I practice dentistry, I see patients of all ages. I treat infections and I perform preventative and routine care. But I also give bad news sometimes: “I’m so sorry, your remaining teeth are not able to be saved, and we need to discuss next options regarding extraction and dentures.”
It is a hard conversation to have. As a dentist, my goal is always to save teeth and improve quality of life. But sometimes that means removing the remaining teeth.
For one particular patient, it was a tough process. This patient was only thirty-three and had uncontrolled diabetes which resulted in the rapid loss of tooth support. The gum and bone damage was too advanced to save the teeth. It took months to remove the teeth and heal the mouth, and then several months to make the dentures. But over this period, I was able to get to know this patient. Although I was doing the treatment, I was also able to walk with this patient through this process.
And that’s why delivery day is my favorite. It’s the day I finally get to hand over the completed dentures and hold up that mirror. For me, time stands still when the patient is finally able to look into the mirror and see him or herself with these new teeth. Sometimes a smile comes right away, and sometimes the patient stares in disbelief. Sometimes they cry or gasp, but mostly they smile.
It’s that smile that touches the eyes. It’s that smile that radiates from the heart. It’s my favorite.
After delivery that day, the patient told me, “Now I can finally smile to my spouse.”
It is a privilege to be part of this moment for my patients. Each day, I try to approach my work with this mindset: I am given the gift of entrustment. God gives a home to the forsaken. And sometimes, that home is YOU.
How do you honor God by caring for His people? Call upon El Roi, the God Who sees (Genesis 16:13) to use your unique gifts to care for others in your life.
Use your unique gifts to care for others. // @substance_soulClick to tweet
Dr. Samantha Aguinaldo-Wetterholm is a wife and mom to four little ones and practices dentistry at a public health community center for low income families in the Bay Area, California. She (unashamedly) thinks ice cream is its own food group and does not leave the house without wearing sparkly earrings. She was a contributing author to All She Had. and our children’s devotional prayer book called Rise Up. Find out more about her here.
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