Of toothbrush handles and denture holders

Toothbrush handles and denture holders were the most sought-after giveaway items during Seventh Day Adventist Dental Clinic dental hygienist Kelli Whapham’s numerous free consultations at the Aging Center.

Whapham, who is set to leave the island this week to attend to her ailing father in Florida, said she started visiting the man’amko at the Aging Center in January, initially just to check on the dental hygiene of the CNMI’s elderly. These visits later evolved to presentations and one-on-one sessions to further check on the man’amko’s dental conditions.

However, she was never more popular than when she was giving away free dental materials and the soft toothbrush handles always got the most appreciation from the elderly.

Whapham said the soft handles enabled the man’amko to grip their toothbrushes more firmly, allowing them to reach the back of their mouths.

“The manual dexterity of our man’amko is not good anymore, so the handles helped them get around that,” Whapham said.

Besides the handles, Whapham also provided denture holders, toothbrush timers and fixodants.

Whapham said she also visited the center even outside her official time as serving the elderly has become her passion.

She joined the Seventh Day Adventist Dental Clinic in 2005 and expressed her interest in helping the Commonwealth’s elderly by conducting voluntary projects at the Aging Center.

Whapham, a registered dental hygienist from Clearwater, Florida, has had extensive experience with the homeless and the elderly in the mainland and, when she set foot on Saipan, she noticed the same need on the island.

During her visits at the Aging Center, Whapham focused on the problems of the elderly such as loose teeth and loose dentures, among others.

Whapham graduated from Ohio State University in 1979 and then pursued a bachelor’s degree in education.

Whapham said she is sad to leave the island as she has become greatly attached with the man’amko.

“I love everyone of them. I’ll miss their hugs. I hope to be back to take care of them.”

Whapham’s visits to the center were a first for the clinic. SDA dentist Crystal Edmister said Whapham has done a tremendous job in her voluntary work with the CNMI elderly.

“She will be greatly missed,” Edmister said, adding that the feedbacks they get attest to the love that the man’amko have for Whapham. “We’re sad to see her go.”

Edmister said the clinic is always ready to serve not only the man’amko but also the entire community.