USOSM Congratulates Dr. Randall Russell on Completing Tanzania Humanitarian Mission

IRVING, TEXAS and AURORA, COLO. (DEC. 2, 2024) … FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE … U.S. Oral Surgery Management (USOSM) commends its surgeon partner Randall Russell, DDS, of Aurora, Colo., as he returns from his first family-based medical mission trip to Tanzania. Dr. Russell was the only oral and maxillofacial surgeon on the care team, which also included multiple dentists, an orthodontist, a CRNA and their families. Dr. Russell, his wife Heidi, and their children, say they consider themselves “very fortunate to have been able to participate and treat the amazing people of Tanzania.”

“Both my family and I gain so much from learning about the lives and culture of people around the world,” said Dr. Russell. “In Tanzania, the dental care shortage is critical. According to the Dental Legacy Foundation, the nonprofit that we partnered with, in rural areas of Tanzania, only one dentist serves an average of 400,000 people and 76% of children under 12 have never seen a dentist. There’s so little dental care available and such a tremendous need.”

Dr. Russell and the care team worked in two separate clinics. One was on the hospital grounds of St. Gaspar Hospital in Itigi, Tanzania, and the other was a remote clinic in the village of Malongwe. The team brought essential dental care to more than 1,500 patients, providing dental cleaning and hygiene education, fluoride treatments, extractions, restorations, root canal therapies, pathology diagnosis and removal, and osteomyelitis (bone infection) treatment. They also helped with gardening and planting trees at the hospital, which grows most of its own food.

In addition, Dr. Russell treated two cases of baseball-sized ossifying fibroma, which is when a rare and benign tumor made of bone-like substances forms within the connective tissue of the jawbone. In these cases, the lesions were so large that the patients’ teeth would not come together, preventing them from chewing their food. Dr. Russell and the hospital surgery team removed the lesions and completed facial reconstruction, giving their patients the ability to chew food for the first time in their lives and completely restoring their form and function.

“We’re so grateful for the opportunity to help the people of Tanzania,” added Dr. Russell. “A big thanks to the Dental Legacy Foundation, without whom this trip would not have been possible; to KLS Martin for donating reconstruction plates, screws, and an entire kit to St. Gaspar Hospital; and to U.S. Oral Surgery Management and its Medical Mission Reimbursement Program.”

USOSM founded its Medical Mission Reimbursement Program in 2023 to support and encourage its surgeon partners in their passion for helping people in need. The program aims to enable additional participation in medical mission projects and to provide guidance to its surgeon partners on organizing and implementing them.

“We created the USOSM Medical Mission program to encourage and support our surgeon partners, who give so much of their time and expertise to help others,” said USOSM President and CEO Richard Hall. “We’re proud of Dr. Russell, his deep passion for helping those in need and the high-quality care that he provides.”

Dr. Russell is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon with Elevated Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery in Aurora. Dr. Russell earned his bachelor’s degree from Weber State University and his DDS from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry. He completed his oral and maxillofacial surgery residency through The University of Mississippi Medical Center and taught as a faculty member in the residency program there before relocating to Colorado to pursue private practice.

Actively involved with a number of professional organizations, Dr. Russell is a member of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, Colorado Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, American Dental Association, Colorado Dental Association and the Academy of Osseointegration to name a few.

The Dental Legacy Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving access to essential dental care. The foundation provides dental treatment and oral hygiene education to underserved communities around the world, leaving a legacy of smiles. For more information, visit https://www.dentallegacyfoundation.org.

Headquartered in Irving, Texas, USOSM sets the standard for oral and maxillofacial surgery management. A management services organization spanning 28 states, USOSM has built a best-in-class network of premier oral and maxillofacial surgeon partners. USOSM provides operational, financial and administrative support services to fuel clinical excellence, innovation and wealth-creation. For more information, visit: https://www.usosm.com.

Contact:

Robin Stevens

U.S. Oral Surgery Management

469-242-0475robin.stevens@usosm.com