Flying out on missions of mercy

There are children living in the hinterlands of Oregon who have never had their teeth brushed, who go to bed at night with a bottle full of juice or soda; children whose teeth are in terrible shape. They need dental surgery, but there's no way their parents will ever get them to a dental clinic or hospital.

So, early in the morning, often several times a week, Jessica Slaughter flies out of Sisters Airport to reach these children and bring dental surgery to them.

Slaughter is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). She contracts with Advantage Dental and travels with dental surgeon Sarah Post to provide services to rural pediatric patients who are enrolled in the Oregon Health Plan. They travel to dental clinics in rural areas across the state, where parents bring their children in for help.

"I bring in the supplies and make an operating room out of a clinic," Slaughter explained. "Basically bring an operating room to a dental clinic."

Slaughter uses medications rather than gas to put patients to sleep. Over 4-1/2 years, "it's been super safe," she says. Anesthetic is not a convenience for a child who's anxious about having her teeth worked on - it's a necessity for procedures that can take hours.

"We don't put kids to sleep for two teeth," Slaughter said.

The patients she sees are "some of the worst cases we've seen - with extensive rot and damage.

"These kids need every tooth in their mouth fixed," she said.

Slaughter acknowledged that some people question the necessity of taking radical surgical action to fix immature teeth. But she notes that oral health is a significant factor in systemic health - infections and disorders in the mouth can compromise overall health. And significant problems with immature teeth can cause adult teeth to grow in in a compromised state.

And the children are often in a significant amount of pain.

"A lot of people dismiss it as, 'Oh, it's just baby teeth,'" she said. "But it has far-reaching implications if we don't take care of them."

Slaughter and Post typically work on three cases per visit and handle from 10 to 12 per month. That's down from 16 per month due to budget cuts.

Slaughter says the ability to fly out of Sisters Airport is vital to the program. Her husband, Jerry, is usually her pilot, but she's working on getting her license.

"I'm hoping to fly solo by the summer," she said. "My whole goal is to be able to fly myself."

The region's severe winter weather precluded flying for several months, which reinforced for Slaughter how important it is to be able to simply fly for an hour to get to cases.

"I drove all winter to do this, and if I had to do that every day, all year, I wouldn't be able to do this," she said.

The work is satisfying, especially when Jessica knows she's helped relieve pain. But it's challenging on multiple levels.

As a CRNA, Slaughter puts in a secure airway on every patient, which makes the procedure very safe. But sometimes she sees circumstances that are tough to grapple with.

"You have kids that grow up around people smoking marijuana, and they're really resistant to drugs," she said.

The condition of a child's teeth is often a symptom of general neglect, and it's tough to see that and realize that not much is going to change. Intervention is often not in the cards.

"Our child welfare system is broken at best," Slaughter said. "They're overwhelmed... This is one of the most vulnerable populations in Oregon. It's a frustrating job. I'm not surprised by it, but it's hard to see it day after day."

In part because of their vulnerability, the children tug at Slaughter's heart strings.

"They're honestly some of the cutest kids you've ever seen," she said. "It breaks your heart; it really does... Most people don't want to hear this stuff but it's out there and it's horrible. It's heart-breaking."

Just as it does for first responders, facing realities most of us don't see leaves wounds and scars. Slaughter takes care of herself with runs on the trails of Sisters Country and by providing wellness services through her Sisters business, Hope Aesthetics.

She recognizes that she's working against the weight of dysfunction and long-term neglect, but she takes comfort in knowing that she is relieving pain and, if only temporarily in many cases, improving the health and well-being of a child.

And that keeps her on the wing, headed out into the Oregon outback to help children in need.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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