I had been a dentist for 26 years before I stepped up to the plate and took my first swing at volunteering my skills as a dentist. In April 2002, I was attending the Oregon Dental Conference at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland.

Introduced to Northwest Medical Teams

At the rear of the exhibit hall sat a large, white, mobile dental van from Northwest Medical Teams, (now known as Medical Teams International.) Outside the large RV stood Georgene Burnett, long-time volunteer coordinator. We talked, she explained their program and mission, and I shared that I especially enjoy pediatric dentistry. She shared with me that Medical Teams had designated children’s clinics, and she gave me her contact information. That was just the start. At the time, I had no idea it would lead to 22 years of volunteering and a chance to care for thousands of patients.

My First Clinic in Newberg, OR | July 2002

Two months later, and I finally contacted Georgene. She asked me if I would be willing to drive to Newberg in July to an elementary school to provide care for low-income children who were attending a summer school. Most of them were children of immigrants. I replied, “Certainly!”

The morning of my very first clinic volunteering, I saw a 9-year-old boy who presented with a very swollen, painful, and abscessed maxillary (upper) 6-year molar. When I tried to touch the swelling he jerked his head away. I asked him, “How long has this tooth been hurting?” He looked up into my eyes and replied, “I can’t remember.” Due to the fact that the tooth was so broken down, I had no choice but to extract this permanent molar. I will spare you the details, but I remember vividly what his tooth socket looked like during the procedure.

I just couldn’t stop thinking about this young patient. My initial response was shock, but slowly, it gave way to anger. On my drive back home to Portland, I couldn’t get this young boy out of my mind. My thoughts raced:

1. I had never had a patient with this degree of swelling, or a patient not able to remember how long they had been in pain.
2. I have no doubt that his parents loved him, but they lacked the knowledge and finances to seek adequate treatment for him.
3. No one gets to choose who their parents are and what socioeconomic class they are born into.
4. My two daughters, with a mother (my wife) who’s a pediatrician and a dentist for a father, would never have to experience this kind of pain and suffering.

That young boy changed my life professionally as he gave me my first, true education about public health. This is what began my passion for helping less fortunate members of my community.

Today, this young boy would be in his early 30’s. I wish I could tell him the importance of our chance encounter 22 years ago. He changed my life and I hope that he is doing well.

Same Volunteer Gig, New Company Name | 2002-2008

Of course, Northwest Medical Teams eventually changed their name to Medical Teams International, and they painted all of their mobile dental vans red. While I was still in an active dental practice, I volunteered once every quarter, mostly at Portland metropolitan elementary schools.

The best part was that I often went back to the same school and had the opportunity to see many of the same kids. We always tried to make the clinics fun and a comfortable, safe environment for the children. They would be less fearful of being in my chair and I could see an improvement each time in their oral health. As a bonus, as is the case with so many kids, very few have filters. You never know what will come out of their mouths, and there’s nothing like the sound of the whole clinic being filled with belly-laughs echoing across the van.

The Start of Retirement | January 2009

I retired from dental practice as my day-job at the end of 2008. And I still had “gas in the tank” for doing dentistry. I began to volunteer more frequently.

Whenever my friends would ask me, “What are you doing now that you’re retired?” I would tell them that I was doing volunteer work with Medical Teams. In turn, they’d usually ask, “Are you traveling to foreign countries to do dentistry?” I would tell them, “No, there are plenty of people in the Portland metropolitan area who are living a third-world existence as far as their oral health condition is concerned.”

Many friends continue to tell me how great it is that I do volunteer work. I just shake my head and let them know:

If I didn’t enjoy it, I wouldn’t be volunteering. Although it is a cliché, I truly get back more than I give in dental care.

No One Ever Asked Me for a Photo at Dental Practice Before

I want to share one impactful patient experience. In February 2022, I had a Somali immigrant in my dental chair. Kathi Karnosh was my assistant. Halfway through his treatment, he gently touched my left arm. I stopped and asked him, “Are you okay?” He replied, “Yes, doctor, I just want to ask you when we’re done, may I take your picture?”

I paused, somewhat amused. “I’ve never had a patient ask me to take my picture. May I ask why?” He said, “So, I can look at your picture every night and pray for you.” WOW! I was humbled at the kindness of such a thoughtful request and gesture.

Afterwards, I let him take my picture only if he would be in the picture with me. And, of course, volunteer dental assistant, Kathi, was invited to be in the photo too! Aren’t cameras on our cell phones wonderful? I wish I had a cell phone camera back in 2002 when I first started volunteering.

Here is our picture together from that day:

In closing, I heard a statement recently which very much resonated with me. I hope you find meaning in it as well. It goes like this,

“You make a living by what you earn. You make a life by what you give.”

 

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Kurt Ferré
Doctor of Dental Surgery

Dr. Ferré (“Ferray”) is a 1976 graduate of Northwestern University Dental School in Chicago. He completed a one-year general practice residency at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Hospital in Chicago and relocated to Portland in May, 1980. He retired in December 31, 2008, after a 28 year career with Permanente Dental Associates in Portland. Dr. Ferré is a former president of the Multnomah Dental Society. He currently serves on the dental advisory board for Medical Teams International. He is a regular volunteer on a Medical Teams International mobile dental unit and was the president of the board as well as the volunteer dental director for the Creston Children’s Dental Clinic in SE Portland for over 8 years.

Away from dentistry, Dr. Ferré, is an avid, fair-weather cyclist, and loves to hike and hunt for wild mushrooms. He and his wife of 49 years, Barbara, enjoy spending time with their 3 young grandchildren who keep them young.