Peter and the teeth of China

It’s midnight in the UK, 9am in Korea. The whisperer skyped Peter, who was back at home, taking a break from life in China.

[00:09:13] Whisperer says: Tell me a bit about your family.

[00:09:59] Peter says: We’ve been married about twelve years and have three boys aged twelve, eight and four. We have been in China for 8 years. (Although, I was also there in 1993 before we met).

[00:13:09] Whisperer says: Was your wife as keen on China as you were, or did she need persuading?

[00:14:01] Peter says: We were headed in the same direction before we got married. We met in a missions training centre. She was open for China.

[00:15:04] Whisperer says: That makes things a bit easier. Your children have spent almost all their lives in China. How have they adjusted to going home?

[00:15:49] Peter says: Actually it's been hardest think they have faced. In China, we work as part of an international team, so they have to learn English. When we arrived in China they went to a local Chinese school. At home we spoke Korean. This has been very stressful for them. Now back in Korea, by His grace, they go to a school which is set up for Third Culture Kids, speaking Korean and English. So the adjustment is easier. Originally, in China, they really struggled with school in English, but now they find it more natural to study in English. During our first years in China, the oldest boy began to ask why we were there, because for him there was a great pressure to learn three languages. His English was getting better, his Korean could not catch up. He got frustrated and cried.

[00:31:14] Whisperer says: How about you, Peter, what were you doing in China?

[00:32:46] Peter says: I was undertaking dental work with a Non-Governmental-Organisation, working in a dental school.

[00:33:24] Whisperer says: Doesn't China have a lot of dentists already?

[00:34:36] Peter says: According to the statistics people to dentist ratio is about 60,000 to one. For example, the place where I live, only about 30-40 dentists graduate a year for a population of about fifty million people

[00:36:43] Whisperer says: Wow! That's an amazing stat.

[00:37:24] Peter says: In many villages there are community health workers who are being taught basic medical knowledge. However they receive absolutely no dental training. As a result, especially in Western China, there are vast areas with not even any rudimentary dentistry. Most dentists want to find work in urban areas. Consequently, you can easily see quack dentists in village streets on market days. These quacks use no sterilization, so there is a very high risk of cross infection. Because of this, my main interest and work with local government is to give village doctors basic dental knowledge.

[00:46:34] Whisperer says: Are you part of a team, or do you work alone?

[00:47:39] Peter says: I work together with the local government, the dental school and village schools and with great help from short termers. Without short-termers, it would be impossible to run the programme effectively. We run four short-term programmes per year. However, to be honest it's been very lonely working as the only foreigner there long-term.

[00:50:34] Whisperer says: What other kinds of work do you get involved in?

[00:51:15] Peter says: Apart from official visits with dental programmes,

we often visit the villages with our friends and family to build relationships. One of our primary goals is to encourage local people to take over this kind of dental work in the future. We are trying to encourage them to take ownership.

[00:58:58] Whisperer says: What kind of training do you give the local Chinese?

[00:59:24] Peter says: We help different levels of dental people. For those who are in dental school, what they really need is English and a high level of dental knowledge. We even provide training for those who are in charge of whole oral health program for the province. We give them ideas on how other countries manage oral health policies. Fundamentally, we have two approaches: top-down, from the Provincial Government and dental schools to local village government and community health workers. And bottom-up: direct work and training in villages. We also undertake research alongside the dental school to encourage the Public Health Bureau to implement a comprehensive dental programme throughout the province. We try to help the society with the concept of integration, viewing society and community as a whole as much as we can

(There are tears and screams next to Whisperer’s computer.)

[01:05:59] Whisperer says: Peter, I have to go in a minute, my little boy has just woken up. Could you answer some quick questions...?

[01:07:25] Peter says: Sure.

[01:07:36] Whisperer says: Which would you prefer, a family picnic at a lake, or a trip to the movies?

[01:07:54] Peter says: A picnic to a lake or a mountain. When we are in China we like fishing and hiking as a family.

[01:08:23] Whisperer says: What's the most beautiful lake you have visited?

[01:09:59] Peter says: If my family is by a lake, that is the most beautiful one, mmmmm...

[01:09:39] Whisperer says: What is the last book you read?

[01:11:10] Peter says: “The Future of Christianity”. And for my latest lecture I re-read “Cultures and Organizations, Software of the Mind” by Geert and Gert Jan Hofstede. I would really recommend this book for anyone preparing for cross cultural work

[01:11:50] Whisperer says: Finally, can you give me some advice on a teething baby who can't sleep?

[01:15:49] Peter says: Long walks in the countryside with the baby on your back!

[01:18:30] Whisperer says: Thanks very much for this interview. God Bless

Contact china@omf.org.uk to find out more about short-term or long-term opportunities for dentists in China.