A Dentist’s Heart Transformation

As you might know, the choice for excellence is ajourney that has a price to pay. I am here to say that theprice has been well worth the sacrifice.

Belonging to the Academy of General Dentistrysquarely puts those dentists who choose it on a path thatrequires a sacrifice of time, money, pride and discomfort.I have had the privilege to be mentored by the likes ofDr. L. D. Pankey and Dr. Jim Pride during my journeyof excellence in dentistry. From Dr. Pride I learned thatyou cannot give what you do not have. In other words,competence in your skills requires a commitment to beinguncomfortable to the degree of being a life long student.It is only when you put yourself in an a uncomfortableposition of learning as a student that you can then givea better service to the patients that have entrusted to youwith their care. Dr. Pankey taught a philosophy that entailsa certain balance between technical skills (work) and therest of life that includes play, love and wor-ship asreflected in the cross of life, the symbol for the Institute.The central message in that symbol is the quote "quidpro quo" meaning one thing for another in reference togiving before receiving. It takes a tremen-douscommitment to be a life long student on the road tocompetence and quite frankly another huge price to payto balance that with play, love and worship in achievinga life that truly represents significance in the totalpicture. We dentists find it difficultto venture into these "uncomfortable" areas of play, loveand worship, particularly the area of love or compassion.That was the crossroad I was facing several years agowhen considering to embark on short term missions tripto India. This is my story of the difficult choice toexpand my education into non-technical areas of

universal values such compassion, love, giving, honor,courage and kindness.

I chose to focus on developing my compassion or"love" capacity in my learning. My path took me on theroad of short term mission trips to India several years ago.I felt that by these experiences, I could develop my capacityin caring for others unconditionally without an expectationof reward or reciprocation. India provided an excellentvenue where I could develop my "compassion" skills. WhatI found over the past seven years in nine visits is receivingfar more than growing my "compassion".

These are some of the over 200 children in GraceChildren Home (pictured below). They are children who

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Sal S. Aragona, DDS

with wife, Vita

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Sal Aragona DDS MAGD is a Michigan native celebrating being marriedto Vita for 29 years. He graduated from the University of Detroit MercySchool of Dentistry in 1980 and maintains a low volume, high quality parttime general dental practice in Clinton Township, MI. He is an avid golfer,photographer and reader of all kinds of books. He hopes to publish his firstbook soon centered on his transformative experiences in India

have lost one or both parents that would be on thestreets of India begging for survival or even worsecircumstances. When my wife Vita was diagnosedwith MS early in our marriage, it precluded us havingour own children. On this last trip in 2/09, I foundmyself in a surreal experience while walking theseprecious children to school. I came to the thoughtthat this is part of what I was made for, to be a fatherto the fatherless, to deeply love these that would beconsidered the "least of these". Oh I had on previoustrips spoke to them about how crazy God is aboutthem and started scholarship funds for thosecontinuing in the health professions. However,it was on this trip that part of my life was beingunfolded in being a father to these amazing children.They in essence "adopted" me as a "father" and friendand allowed me to truly see them now as my veryown, dear children. I am so proud of my children,they are all very beautiful. My heart grew a bit bigger,beating wildly for my children who would call metheir friend, their brother, their father.

Ultimate joy comes from not what you have, butwhat you can give to others. Midlife often allows theopportunity to transition from success to significanceand often, the materialistic aspects of life becomeless important and universal spiritual values takeon a greater focus. There is a kind of "magic" whenpursuing timeless values like excellence in givingnothing less than your best. If most of us are honest,we, at one point in our journey, have or will ask theterrifying question, "Is this all there is?". This is notto say that all or even most of us dentists live livesof "quiet desperation", yet many of us at one pointor another in our journey of excellence have felt thisgnawing discontent questioning the very core ofwhat we believe in. In this apparent crisis lies thetremendous opportunity for personal transformation.Obviously, there are many paths that one canconsider yet for me, the India missions trips havebeen the catalyst for the heart transformationI've experienced.

India and its people are an enigma. WithHinduism at its core belief structure, they are adeeply religious people. They are sincere seekersof Truth. The problem is, as it is in all third worldenvironments, they are all consumed by their dailyneeds. They cannot afford to think, contemplate,

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With the help of his dental technician (pictured on the frontcover) on site working 24 hours around the clock, we hadprovided many removable and fixed prosthodontics,endodontics , oral surgery and operative dentistry to over300 people in four days. Folga, who plans on beginningdental school in 2010 ad opportunity to experienceextracting teeth and giving local anesthetics, of course,with my direct supervision and instruction. Another way

of giving that results in receiving a deep joy 100x in return.Those interested can check out a sample slide showpresentation at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNicvh3rFdU&feature=channel_page.

This grateful dentist is happy to experience a type ofinternal transformation of the heart during these missionstrips. It has given me far, far more than the little I havegiven to help. The development of non-technical skillsof the heart provides a balance to which the pursuit ofexcellence takes on a whole different level of meaning andpurpose. It allows the universal and eternal gifts of love,peace, joy, kindness, gratefulness, relationship to flourish. �

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read, listen to the Truth. They must experience theTruth in action. As president of CEM-USA, thestateside non-profit organization that oversees fundingfor this work (http://cemindiausa.org), I am so thrilledto be part of a process that involves helping build afour story hospital for these people. The futurehospital will indeed be a game change with thousandsexperiencing Truth through compassionate medicalcare. Their bodies are ravaged by too much fluoride inthe environment as evidenced by many cases ofskeletal fluorosis, low incidence of dental caries andtemperatures during the summer of 120 degrees F, it istruly a testament to the incredible adaptive capacity ofthe human body. Yet what amazes me even more is thecourageous spirit these people possess. They are the mostjoyful, kindest, honorable people I have ever encountered.

My dental assistant, Folga came with me again onthis years trip and we had the usage of a local dental officewhich a Hindu dentist kindly let us rent for the week.

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Morning walk with the 200 Grace Children to their school a mile away.This is when they asked me to be their friend, brother, father.

Dr. Aragona and Dentalassistant Folga with one ofover three hundred patientswe saw in a local Indiandental office over three daysin 2/09

Current construction of a three story, 70 bed level II missions hospital thatwill eventually see 2500-5000 patients a week.