Still serving the ATSU mission: DezBaa Damon-Mallette, DMD
Posted: February 2, 2015
When she was a young Navajo child, DezBaa Damon-Mallette, DMD ’07, realized that she was very interested in dentistry. At an early age, she was curious about how dental instruments were used by her dentist to work in someone’s mouth and help them.
“My dentist, Dr. Dunston, was very supportive and always asked me if I had questions about what I observed in his office,” said Dr. Damon-Mallette. “Although I did not realize it at the time, I later discovered I liked working with my hands and with people, and that is most likely what interested me in the dental field.”
As she grew up, her simple question-and-answer moments with Dr. Dunston turned into a mentorship. “When I was 13, I asked him what classes I needed to go to dental school, and he provided me with a printout of all the classes he took during college and encouraged me to start taking some of these classes in high school if they were available,” said Dr. Damon-Mallette. “Before I knew it, I was on track to becoming a dentist.”
As she started her track of studies, she also realized the impact that she could have on her community as a Navajo woman. Dr. Damon-Mallette had seen the experiences of her relatives when they went to the dentist, and to her it always seemed to be lacking a level of comfort. “I was confident in my hand skills and felt that I could do a better job of relating to my own people and providing a more gentle approach to their care,” she said.
Dr. Damon-Mallette’s background is Navajo, from New Mexico and Arizona. Her mother is from Mexican Water, Ariz., and her father is from Mexican Springs, New Mexico. “One of my primary goals in dental school was to graduate and serve the American Indian and Alaska Native communities,” she said. “There are not many American Indian or Alaska Native dentists, and it is so important for us to be of service to our communities, if possible. There is an unspoken understanding between you and your patient that cannot always be achieved with someone of a different background. From birth, rites of passage and the Native way of living have been instilled in us, and this affects who we are as Native people. As a result, I may be able to better explain a procedure to a Native person and/or convince them to obtain the dental preventive measures that they need.”
ATSU-ASDOH offered cultural opportunities
Dr. Damon-Mallette says that throughout her life, she had been exposed to various cultures and had traveled throughout the United States. When she attended undergraduate school, she became interested in learning about different people and soon found herself involved in diversity programs and trainings. “Participating in these programs and trainings, I often found myself volunteering for various community service events or projects,” said Dr. Damon-Mallette. “I knew that I wanted to be a part of a dental school that honored not only academic excellence, but diversity and community awareness.”
Her best friend from college who knew that Dr. Damon-Mallette was interested in dentistry had the opportunity to tour A.T. Still University’s Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-ASDOH) when they were interviewing prospective students for their inaugural class. She called Dr. Damon-Mallette immediately after the tour and told her that the school was made for her and that she should definitely apply. “She was right,” says Dr. Damon-Mallette. “ATSU-ASDOH promotes public health, honors diversity and works to bridge cultures.”
One of her great mentors at ATSU-ASDOH was Dr. George Blue Spruce who had advised her to work with a Native Nation that was different than hers. “While attending ATSU-ASDOH, I learned of the need for dental care in Alaska,” she said. She related that there are problems with rampant tooth decay among children there and are huge issues with access to care. Also, many of the remote areas of Alaska do not have roads and the only way to get there is by plane.
“For two of my externships, I went to Barrow and Bethel, Alaska, and had the opportunity to fly out to villages and provide dental services,” shared Dr. Damon-Mallette. “I loved it! It was such a challenging job, but the rewards were abundant. I learned so much about dentistry since there was not always a specialist available. I also learned how to improvise in case you run out of a material, or a needed procedure comes up that you did not prepare to complete on that particular trip.”
After graduating from ATSU-ASDOH, Dr. Damon-Mallette spent four years as a staff dentist in remote areas of Alaska. During her time in Alaska, she learned a lot about survival and simplicity, gaining a huge appreciation for using available resources as much as possible. “For example, we had water delivered to our homes, and you learned to keep track of how much water you used,” she said. “Basically, you became more aware of what you used and what you threw away.”
Back among her people
After working in Alaska, she decided to move to the Navajo Reservation in Ganado, Ariz. – her home community – to provide needed dental care to underserved families. Dr. Damon-Mallette felt that she had to go back and work among her own community. “I wanted to make them proud and provide the best dental services possible. Working with my own Navajo community was even more rewarding than working in Alaska, because I immediately obtained the feedback from my patients that they were not scared to go to the dentist anymore. They asked a lot of questions about their care and did not feel afraid to tell me all their concerns regarding their health.”
When asked about one of her most memorable experiences among patients, Dr. Damon-Mallette shared a story about working with a mother of five children in Kwigillingok, Alaska.
“On one of my trips to this remote Alaskan village, I met the mother and her children who had not seen a dentist because of fear and embarrassment. I started treating her children and eventually was able to treat her. Unfortunately, most of her teeth were decayed, and she and I came to a decision that dentures would be the best option. We then started extraction of her remaining teeth and eventually were able to get her extractions and dentures completed.”
“The day I delivered her dentures, she was so happy that she couldn’t stop smiling. She was so thankful for all that was done for her and her children that the next time I saw her she gave me a qaspeq (a long-sleeved shirt that looks like a pullover sweater with a hood, but much lighter material) with a butterfly on the front.”
Dr. Damon-Mallette currently serves as dental services director at Community Dental Services, Inc., in Albuquerque, New Mexico and oversees three clinics.
Still serving the ATSU Mission features an ATSU alumnus who exhibits a continuation of service to the underserved in their professional practice
