Oregon
Local Hero: Dr. R.

Dr. R has a general practice in Woodburn, OR., a city with a population of a little over 21,000. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, backpacking, camping, golf and fishing—and volunteering for DDS. Dr. R., who is a 2005 Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry, says, “I heard about DDS from our own Oregon Dental Association . I felt the need to give back to my community. There are many poor people in the area that have rampant dental disease and need dental care.” Among his DDS success stories is a patient with numerous physical handicaps. “Jim is always glad to see us,” he says. “Without our care, I think he would have lost most of his teeth by now. It is so gratifying to see people with similar physical handicaps return to good dental health.” Dr. R. has this message for his colleagues across the state: “If you are not doing volunteer work, DDS would be a great place to start. DDS prescreens the patients and takes care of the paperwork. They also help arrange free lab work for the patient. The time demands are not that onerous, and you just make the time.”