CU Dental 2018 - 5

With nearly 30,000 refugees living
in Denver, 3,000 alone from Myanmar
(formerly Burma), Makhija found herself
drawn to the Burmese refugees who
escaped from one of the world's longest
civil wars. Through these relationships,
Project Worthmore learned of a village in
Myanmar that needed help. So Makhija
and a team of others made the very
long and hard trip to the remote village
of Mong Pa Troo, which hadn't seen a
westerner since 1978.
"With no electricity, we woke up by
rooster calls, and we had a generator
brought in by an ox," recalls Makhija. "We
treated 88 patients and provided dental
education to the village. The people were
extremely grateful for our help, and I am
grateful to have had this opportunity to
make such a difference."
Makhija's aspiration to make a larger

impact for this population inspired her to
research the betel nut and its effect on
dental health. Chewing the betel nut is
a popular cultural activity in many Asian
countries. Responsible for giving a buzz,
the betel nut also stains teeth reddish
black and is believed to be a major
culprit behind the poor oral health of
its chewers.
"Besides the health implications, the
teeth staining causes many problems
for the refugees in Denver as it is not
socially accepted and often prevents this
population from finding jobs or making
friends," said Makhija. "I want to help."
Makhija's desire to help touches all
areas of her professional and personal
life. She also mentors CU Dental
students who visit Project Worthmore
during their ACTS rotation, and she
writes test questions for the American

Dental Association Boards. She is even
a Captain in the U.S. Army Reserves
because it is important to her to give
back to her new country.
Makhija's drive to help people,
passion for dentistry and research and
the ability to connect the dots between
science and humanity is what makes her
exceptional, and why CU Dental is proud
to call her one of our own. ■

"With no electricity, we woke

up by rooster calls, and we had
a generator brought in by an
ox...We treated 88 patients and
provided dental education to
the village."
DENTAL. INTEGRATED FOR HEALTH.

5



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CU Dental 2018

Tablet of Contents
CU Dental 2018 - Cover1
CU Dental 2018 - Cover2
CU Dental 2018 - Tablet of Contents
CU Dental 2018 - 2
CU Dental 2018 - 3
CU Dental 2018 - 4
CU Dental 2018 - 5
CU Dental 2018 - 6
CU Dental 2018 - 7
CU Dental 2018 - 8
CU Dental 2018 - 9
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CU Dental 2018 - 30
CU Dental 2018 - 31
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CU Dental 2018 - Cover3
CU Dental 2018 - Cover4
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