THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 2, 1994 TAG: 9411300123
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 01B EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Medium: 91 lines
BORIS TUROVSKIY doesn't know much English, but last week he spoke the universal language that dentists everywhere understand.
``Blah! Yecchhh!'' he said to Larry Leibowitz, shuddering in the dentist's chair.
Leibowitz laughed at the reaction. He was going to place the final impression of a new set of dentures on the roof of Turovskiy's mouth. The mold was filled with pasty brown goo and ``tastes horrible,'' Leibowitz admitted.
``I'm going to put this in for five minutes,'' Leibowitz told his patient, holding up five fingers. ``Five minutes, OK?''
Turovskiy nodded.
``Five minutes, OK,'' he said, settling back in the chair. Leibowitz slid the impression over Turovskiy's few remaining teeth and grinned.
``He's getting a whole new set of dentures,'' he said. ``We'll be taking his teeth out in the next few weeks. They're in terrible shape.''
It's a wonder how Turovskiy has lived for 66 years with his deteriorated teeth, most of which are filled with a gold or silver alloy. But Leibowitz is coming to the rescue. He's one of more than 100 Hampton Roads health professionals who are taking care of Russian immigrants for free through a 4-year-old program at Jewish Family Service of Tidewater.
The dentist has been providing his services for about two years to several immigrants and is always astounded at the poor quality of their teeth. It's especially troubling to him since dental care was free in the Soviet Union until the collapse of communism in 1991.
``I don't know if they didn't know about periodontal disease and how to care for their teeth,'' said Leibowitz, a tall, thin man with warm brown eyes and a ready smile. ``But from what I can tell, something like dental floss is not the kind of thing you could buy in a drugstore over there.
``When I was in dental school, sometimes we would see indigent children with big cavities,'' he added. ``But nothing like this. All of them have pretty severe periodontal disease with decay. The care was very poor.''
Turovskiy bravely endured the dripping brown goo in his mouth for the allotted time and visibly relaxed when Leibowitz removed the impression. The burly, tattooed patient kept pulling at his teeth, however, and looked at the dentist with questioning eyes.
``No, we can't pull your teeth out now,'' Leibowitz said, shaking his head as Turovskiy frowned and sighed with understanding. The Chernobyl native is retired from the Russian army and has lived in Newtown Arch with his wife Klara and two grandchildren since April. And though he doesn't own a car, Turovskiy never misses an appointment with the dentist. He simply walks a few miles to the Kemps River Shopping Center office.
``He's ready to get them out. I'm sure they don't feel good,'' said Leibowitz. ``But he's great. He doesn't complain at all. And he knows how to say thank you.''
All of the Russian refugees who have been helped by area doctors are grateful, according to Nancy Engel, a vocational specialist and case worker with Jewish Family Service. The organization was selected by the Department of Health and Human Services to receive funding through the Office of Refugee Resettlement to help resettle Russian refugees. More than 270 individuals have been assisted since 1990.
The resettlement includes finding the refugees apartments and furnishing them, taking the refugees to English classes five days a week, taking them to temples and teaching them how to assimilate into American culture. And, of course, getting them free health care.
``The health care community has been very generous. They have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of services,'' said Engel. ``I cannot express the gratitude that Jewish Family Service feels about how the medical community has responded. This program couldn't have survived without their help.''
The refugees are also aided in finding work to do, after assimilating to American culture for four months. Thereafter they pay their doctors for appointments. One of Leibowitz's patients, Alexander Krilov, was helped even more by the dentist in 1992 after he immigrated from the Ukraine.
``He is wonderful. When I come to the country he treated my wife and I both for free for the year,'' said Krilov. ``Now I use him a lot. I consider him a blessing from God.''
Leibowitz seemed a little embarrassed by the praise and tried to downplay his generosity.
``My grandparents came over here as immigrants from Russia and I can imagine how they felt,'' he said. ``Some people want to give to specific charities. I guess this is my way of giving something back to the community.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS
Dentist Larry Leibowitz shows Boris Turovskiy an x-ray of the
patient's teeth. Leibowitz is fitting Turovskiy with dentures.
by CNB