LEAVING A
LEGACY OF SMILES
Dental Legacy Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides access to free dental care and oral hygiene education in communities where there is currently little to no access, beginning with our work in rural Tanzania. This mission is accomplished through volunteer efforts to establish clinics and train providers in underserved communities. This is only accomplished by generous gifts from our partners and donors like you.
Rural regions of Tanzania average 400,000 people per 1 single dentist. In comparison, the USA has roughly a 1,650-to-1 ratio in this same statistic. This significant discrepancy results in Tanzanians typically going 2 years with tooth pain before being able to see a dentist and 76% of kids 12 and under having never seen a dentist in a country of 59.7M.
Dental Legacy Foundation, with your help, aims to decrease these startling statistics through easier access to care and the training of more, highly-skilled dental professionals in country.
OUR STORY
THE SHORT VERSION
The motivation for the Dental Legacy Foundation begins with an inspiring young man named Logan Doseck. Logan was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis yet continued pursuing his career dreams, being accepted to the Dental School at Midwestern University, despite his many health obstacles. During his first quarter, Logan faced additional medical challenges and, ultimately, passed away. Logan was, however, an organ donor and was able to give three people new leases on life, representing the appreciation for service instilled in him.
Upon Logan’s passing, his father, Michael Doseck, a consummate example of selfless service himself, knew he wanted to dedicate one of the clinical rooms in the St. Gaspar’s clinic in Africa to his son, honoring his legacy by providing free dental care to those in need.
Michael approached Dr. Smith, the Dean of Midwestern University, with this idea. Dr. Smith personally knew Logan and even interviewed him for school admissions, so when Mr. Doseck spoke of taking dentists to Tanzania to fulfill this dream, Dr. Smith knew it was a project that he wanted to be a part of. However, he also realized that he would need some additional support.
Dr. Smith knew just the place to go. That’s when he approached old friends Dr. Dan Nelson, Dr. Jared Hill, and Ryan Passey, co-founders of Elevation Association, about the project. These 3 were beyond eager to help, seeing the potential of an opportunity to expand beyond just Tanzania, and so Jared, Dan, and Ryan founded Dental Legacy Foundation. Together, working with amazing associates and board members, like Michael and Dr. Smith, it is their mission to provide access to free dental care and oral hygiene instruction in communities where there is currently little to no access.
