About Us
Come learn about our mission, our story, our values, & our goals.
Our Mission
The purpose of the Dental Legacy Foundation is to provide access to free dental care and oral hygiene instruction in communities where there is currently little to no access.
Our Story
The motivation for the Dental Legacy Foundation begins with an inspiring young man named Logan Doseck. At age 4, Logan was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis resulting in physiotherapy and aerosolized treatments twice daily. In 2014, Logan went into acute liver failure and shortly thereafter, a coma. His family was told to prepare to take him off life support, but Logan miraculously recovered. In 2015, Logan was given another chance at life with a much needed liver transplant.
Despite all of the physical challenges that Logan had to endure, he continued to pursue his career dreams by completing prerequisites, taking the Dental Admissions Test, and starting Dental School at Midwestern University. Sadly, during the first quarter, Logan faced additional medical challenges and passed away. After his passing, we learned that Logan had signed a directive to be an organ donor and, in his selfless compassion and generosity, Logan has given three people new leases on life.
Logan’s father, Michael Doseck, has been an example of selfless service throughout his life. He has spent several years volunteering in remote villages in Tanzania, Africa, working to provide essential health care to areas of considerable need. Michael was instrumental in developing, designing and building a small health clinic in the town of Itigi, called St. Gaspar’s Precious Blood. When Michael’s son, Logan, unexpectedly passed away in 2016, he knew he wanted to dedicate one of the clinical rooms in the St. Gaspar’s clinic to his son and provide free dental care to those who need it. That’s when he approached Dr. Brad Smith for help.
Dr. Brad Smith, DDS is a former Dean of the Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine. As Dean, he has had many opportunities to take large groups of students on Humanitarian trips through the University to the Kingdom of Tonga. Dr. Smith also personally knew Logan as he interviewed him for school admissions and understood how amazing this young man really was. When Michael approached Dr. Smith about this opportunity to take dentists to Tanzania, Dr. Smith knew it was a project that he wanted to be a part of, but Dr. Smith also realized that to try to organize two different humanitarian trips would be too difficult. Luckily, through his association with Elevation Association, Dr. Smith knew that the members of this organization were eager to be able to give back. That’s when he approached Dr. Dan Nelson, Dr. Jared Hill, and Ryan Passey, co-founders of Elevation Association, about the opportunity.
Elevation Association was organized in 2019 as a collaborative partnership that provides guidance, tools, continuing education, and a network for dentists worldwide. They believe that a dentist should have more than just a business plan, they should have a life plan, a leadership plan, and a legacy plan.
It was at Elevation Association’s Legacy Summit that Dr. Brad Smith approached them with the idea of creating and running this humanitarian project. The idea was eagerly adopted by all members of the association.
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.
Our Values
1. Empathy - We understand the long-term effects, both physically and emotionally, of not having access to proper dental care and how damaging it can be. We look forward to extending services to communities and peoples who may need the help we can provide.
2. Health - There is a known synergistic relationship between oral health and overall wellness. Hopefully, by providing good oral health, we can alleviate the effects of other diseases that are closely associated and affected by it, such as heart disease, diabetes, respiratory disease, etc.
3. Caring - There is no judgment when providing needs to dental care. All those involved will have opportunities to learn about the people, the culture, and history of those they are treating.
4. Empowerment - Oral health care instruction, on an individual basis, is the most powerful tool we can instill. We will also teach, train, and empower any registered dental professionals to be able to treat their community with more confidence, if the opportunity arises.
Our Goals
1. To travel to Tanzania, Africa, at least once a year with a small group of dentists to provide emergency, palliative, restorative, and preventative dental care.
2. The foundation hopes to be able to donate, through generous contributions, not only time and energy but also dental equipment and supplies.
3. The hope is that this can be an Evergreen Project, each trip delivering additional advanced training to any local provider, so they can continue to supply quality dentistry to locals with the most up-to-date procedures, equipment, and materials year after year.