“I stopped counting at 25 how many mission trips I’ve been on. I’ve been to over 21 countries, including Cambodia, Zambia, Mexico, Botswana, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Africa, Malawi, Ghana, Kenya, Lebanon, and most recently Egypt and Jordan. I just go wherever there’s a need and try to do good,” says Dr. Duane Beers, a dentist who practices out of Socorro, New Mexico. 

 
 

Dr. Beers with Cambodian school children on
one of his many humanitarian trips throughout the world 

 
Although he maintains a family practice with more than ten employees, Dr. Beers travels the world to perform humanitarian dental work two to four times per year.

“I’m going to be 69-years-old this year and people ask me all the time when I’m going to retire and I say, ‘Not anytime in the near future!’ Dentistry and the ability to bless people’s lives through it is a gift. I stay current with all of the latest technology and being able to help hundreds and hundreds of people all over the world while still being able to practice here in New Mexico brings me a lot of fulfillment.”

 


Dr. Beers at one of the many make-shift
operatories he’s set up on his dental
humanitarian trips

 

 
In the past year, Dr. Beers has focused much of his humanitarian efforts in the Middle East, having returned from back-to-back trips to Egypt and Jordan, where he primarily treated refugees. He’s also gearing up for a trip at the end of April to the Mediterranean coast of Greece, which is the shortest boat (or many times raft) ride from Syria and where hundreds of refugees, fleeing both their own government and ISIS, disembark every day.
 

Refugees Holding Hands While Receiving Dental Work in Jordan​

 
“These people, in the most literal sense, have nowhere to go and they’re in so much danger. Any love that you can give them, especially the kids, is so appreciated by them. We’re just there to do whatever it is that they need, whether it be fillings, bonding, extractions, or what have you. For the physicians that go with us, they treat a lot of women that are in need of basic obstetric care and things like that and we are so happy to help them because a lot of them have ailments that they haven’t been able to have treated for a very, very long time.” 



Dr. Beers teaching kids at a refugee school
in Jordan the importance of brushing their teeth

 

 

A picture one of the refugee school children
drew about their experience fleeing their country
 and ISIS

 

 
As for his own safety, Dr. Beers says, “Of course, many of these places are very unsafe to be traveling to, and sometimes, unfortunately, volunteers like us do get hurt or killed. But you just learn to be smart about where to go and not to go and in the end, I believe it’s worth it. You hear such horror stories about the kinds of people that are in these countries and then you go over there and while yes, there are certainly people out there willing to do harm, you find that most of them are just delightful and so appreciative and kind. They’re so oppressed. It’s worth it to me to put myself at a certain degree of risk to care for these people. My wife, who is a nurse, and my daughter even traveled to Kabul, Afghanistan to do medical humanitarian work and it was incredibly fulfilling and eye-opening for them. I’m so glad I’ve been able to expose my kids to the different ways people live throughout the world. It educates them and instills in them an appreciation and humility for what they have, as well as a desire to give back, which they continue to do in their adult years.” 

 

Camels in Egypt


“The older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve learned about the difference between things that make you happy and things that bring you joy. Getting a cheeseburger or getting off work early can make you feel happy but helping others that are truly in need is what true joy is. Seeing people smile that have been through so much and having them give you a hug in appreciation for what you’ve done is a true feeling of joy.” 

 
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Refugee Childr​en in Egypt
​
Ultradent is honored to support doctors like Dr. Beers and the humanitarian efforts that he and so many other skilled physicians are performing all over the world. We thank him for sharing his story with us and wish him all the best in his continued efforts to spread good and peace throughout the earth.