Saddle Creek:

Dr. Dod and Dr. Jake of Saddle Creek Dental are known for fixing and beautifying the teeth of countless Waco residents. But their dental work is famous elsewhere, too—namely, Mexico, Honduras, and the other foreign countries to which they’ve traveled on various medical missions trips.

Dr. Dod and Dr. Jake’s passion for missions work began in dental school, when they first journeyed to Matamoros, Mexico, to help provide free dental care to a local orphanage. Inspired by their success, the dentists returned to Matamoros several times over the next few years to serve orphans, prisoners, and others who had limited access to dentists.

Their work was so rewarding that Dr. Dod and Dr. Jake have since made several more visits to countries around the world to offer their valuable services to those in need. Dr. Jake, who has traveled as far as Bolivia, Ecuador, and Nicaragua, says he enjoys missions work because “I have a passion for service and using my craft to show God’s love for others.”

Dr. Dod shares that passion. In 2012, he joined a medical team with Co-Partners for Christ in traveling to a village in Honduras, where he was able to treat several severe toothaches. Dr. Dod loved helping these patients find relief from their pain, but perhaps his favorite memory came from cleaning the stains from his Honduran translator’s teeth. The man’s wife—who had never seen her husband without the stains—cried when she saw him, and the whole family took a photo to celebrate.

It’s moments like those that bring Dr. Dod the deepest joy. He says that when he first began doing missions work, he thought he was going to help others, but now, “I always feel like I am the one who gets the blessing.”

Throughout the years, the dentists of Saddle Creek Dental have put smiles on the faces of innumerable patients both near and far—yet they are the ones grinning when they think of the gratitude of the people they’ve helped overseas.

Attention Voters! Locals Love Us is searching for stories of businesses that give back to the community by going above and beyond what is expected of them.

SOUND LIKE A BUSINESS THAT ONCE HELPED YOU OUT? WE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT

The story could get published on the website! Not a writer? No worries, we'll edit it for you! Just give us the basics.