Between his long distance bike rides and spontaneous travel, retired Owatonna dentist Dr. Richard Dresser has still been finding time to mask up and get to work.
Though Dresser sold his private practice, Dresser Family Dental, in July 2023, it was only a matter of time before the notoriously effervescent Holly Jorgensen convinced him that retirement didn’t have to mean hanging up the dental drill for good. Since April, Dresser has been spending every other Wednesday inside Let’s Smile, Inc., the nonprofit founded by Jorgensen in 2013 that provides oral health and dental care for adolescents that are under- or uninsured.
However, before Dresser came along, the dental care provided by Let’s Smile had to stop at preventative measures. Prior to having a licensed dentist volunteering one day every other week, Let’s Smile had no way to provide follow-up dental care for kids who needed additional work beyond a screening and cleaning.
“It makes sense, because if nothing hurts yet, and you have to pick between paying rent, paying your utilities or putting a coat on your child in the winter, you are going to put aside the follow-up dental care until it hurts, and then you’ll end up in the emergency room,” Jorgensen said.
In 2023, 33% of the 1,021 patients Let’s Smile saw were identified for needing follow-up dental treatment. Because they did not have a way to provide that treatment at the time, the nonprofit would refer the patients out to other groups that provide similar services, such as Southern Heights Dental Group in Faribault.
“They are a great partner to have, but that can bring up other issues, such as transportation and financial barriers for these families,” Jorgensen said. “We are all about removing as many barriers as possible.”
Jorgensen said only 24% of those needed follow up treatment last year were able to have that treatment completed.
So far in 2024, 40% of the 575 patients that have visited Let’s Smile have needed follow-up treatment, a total of 229 kids who needed dental work done. With the help of Dresser, Let’s Smile has been able to complete the follow-up care of 30 of those kids in-house.
“What Dr. Dresser is doing for this community is huge,” Jorgensen said. “A lot of lives are being positively impacted.”
If one were to ask Dresser, though, he would simply chuckle and remain ever humble, asserting he “isn’t doing anything big” and that it’s “just” two days of the month, despite how many times Jorgensen says his help has been crucial.
“Holly has always had this same enthusiasm for treating people who are under-served; they are the ones doing the big work,” Dresser said. “I figured the community has been very good to me, so this is my way to give back.”
Dresser volunteering for Let’s Smile has been a full-circle journey for himself and Jorgensen. Prior to her starting the nonprofit, Jorgensen had temped as a dental hygienist for Dresser in his private practice. Fast-forward to when she first ventured out as Let’s Smile, she fondly remembers Dresser being among the first to donate a big box filled with supplies.
And now, despite having retired from the private practice, Dresser said he is happy to keep helping an organization he believes in.
“I am really enjoying it, plus it removes all the responsibility that comes with running your own practice,” Dresser laughed. “And working with all kids is great. Kids can be challenging, lord knows I have been challenged by many, but I’m really a kid at heart, so it’s fun.”
Inside the dental office in Community Pathways of Steele County, Dresser said he has been able to work with a new demographic that he almost never saw during his 35 years at his private practice: low income families.
“Part of what my staff had to do was screen people to see if they would be able to pay, and unfortunately that is part of owning a business — people have to pay,” Dresser said. With that in mind, however, he admits he often would find himself aghast when children would come into his office, without any barriers to receiving dental care, and still have completely preventable issues.
“Now we have this whole other populations that is unable to even get to a dentist,” Dresser said. “There is no doubt in my mind of this need in an underserved community … if more of my colleagues who are dentists volunteered at Let’s Smile, I know there would be no shortage of patients.”
LEARN MORE Learn more about Let’s Smile, Inc. by visiting LetsSmileInc.com or calling 507-455-4063. 8fef13b2-60b9-4e4c-aaf5-5fabe7ceb730
Most Popular
Comments / 0