Nevada
Local Hero: Dr. M.

When it comes to volunteering, Dr. M. is definitely a hands-on kind of guy. During his junior year in dental school at the University of California at San Francisco, he practiced at a student clinic in Tijuana. He has volunteered for programs through the Northern Nevada Dental Society, and he also belongs to Los Medicos Voladores (The Flying Doctors). When it came time for the Boise, Idaho native to start his own office in Reno in 1982, Dr. M. took a course in dental architecture and put the office together himself (and he’s still there). In 2000, Dr. M. traveled to Mexico to build two houses in a project coordinated by his local ministry. “I started to think I could do more good using my dental skills than by pounding nails and sawing wood,” he says. Dr. M. has subsequently volunteered with DDS for close to seven years. “I believe in giving people a hand up, not a hand out,” he says. “I’m very happy with the program because it makes a huge difference. Most of the people they refer have so many other medical problems that they can’t afford to take care of their teeth. I like helping people to be healthy and out of pain and able to smile. I get great satisfaction out of exceeding their expectations. We’re happy to help out.”