REXBURG—Dr. Mike Larsen’s humanitarian trips have taken him by motorized canoe to remote Amazon villages and into communities of Venezuelan refugees. Along the way, the Rexburg dentist has learned that service extends beyond treating teeth.
Larsen, one of the owners of Apple Tree Dental, grew up in Blackfoot as the eighth of 11 children. After serving a mission in Mexico, attending Brigham Young University and completing dental school in Iowa, he spent about eight years working in community health centers before purchasing the Rexburg practice.
The opportunity to serve abroad helped draw Larsen to dentistry. Inspired by a family member who wanted to take each of their children on a humanitarian trip before graduation, he also hopes to share those experiences with his own children.
His trips have included Ecuador, Columbia, Peru and Honduras. In Ecuador, he traveled with Flying Doctors of America to villages accessible by river rather than roads. Those conditions limited the equipment volunteers could take and the treatments they could provide.
“Many times, you are limited in these very remote locations to just do extractions of infected teeth or fluoride treatments to try to help prevent cavities,” Larsen said.
One of his most emotional experiences came in Cucuta, Columbia, where he treated Venezuelan refugees. While previous trips had introduced him to communities experiencing poverty, this trip revealed the additional hardships of displacement.
“Many times, they were educated individuals with high-paying jobs formerly, and now they don’t know where their next meal is going to come from or where they’re going to sleep that night,” Larsen said.
He remembers a mother caring for her daughter with special needs and the love she showed despite their difficult circumstances.
Another evening, Larsen and a friend took leftover food from their hotel refrigerator to someone who might need it. They soon encountered a young mother sitting on the sidewalk. After accepting the food, she hurried away to take it to her child.
“I think that experience helped me understand better how the Lord ministers one by one,” Larsen said.
The trips have also strengthened his appreciation for the dental care available at home. He said working in remote communities has helped him recognize the blessings of having access to providers in Rexburg.
Larsen’s next trip will take him to Guatemala, where he expects to treat children through a community center serving nearby villages.
For others interested in humanitarian work, Larsen said a medical or dental background is not always necessary. Opportunities can include building homes or assisting health care teams, giving volunteers with different skills ways to contribute.