Across the country, families celebrate Father’s Day by honoring the men who guide and inspire them. Dr. Rachel Malterud found that inspiration not only at home, but also at work, where her father, Dr. Mark Malterud, is her colleague. Together, they share a passion for dentistry and giving back to the community.
How Dentistry Became a Family Affair
Dr. Mark Malterud never expected his daughter to follow in his footsteps and become a dentist. She explored marketing and psychology before landing in dental sales. After witnessing her father practice dentistry firsthand, she realized dentistry wasn’t just a profession, but something much bigger. Although he never pressured his daughter, Mark saw her talents and believed dentistry would be a perfect fit for her career. Soon, she was pursuing that very path. After graduating from the Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health with her DMD, Dr. Rachel Malterud began working for her father’s practice in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
A Passion for Volunteering
Their shared passion for dentistry extends beyond their practice as they both volunteer for the Donated Dental Services (DDS) program. A longtime volunteer since 2003, Mark discovered the program through the Academy of General Dentistry. It was a perfect fit for his desire to give back. For Rachel, volunteering was a natural extension of her love for giving back and seeing her father’s dedication to the program. Both Drs. Mark and Rachel Malterud have greatly contributed to the DDS program, with Mark having seen 18 patients and donating over $67,000 in treatment to individuals in need, and Rachel having donated over $34,000 in donated treatment for 3 patients since she began volunteering in 2020.
“It is great to see the smiles on our patients’ faces as we care for them, and the process is seamless,” said Dr. Mark Malterud. “We can connect with good labs and surgeons if we need them, and this helps us get nice results and puts that smile on the DDS patient’s face.”
Working daily with family is not for everyone, but they both expressed that the good of working together far outweighs the challenging moments. Together they get to collaborate on complex cases and often spend weekends traveling to dental conferences and continuing education courses – a chance to learn and grow together.
Thank you, Fathers!
This Father’s Day, we want to thank and celebrate all fathers who volunteer for our program. Whether or not volunteering is a family affair, like Drs. Mark and Rachel Malterud, we are thankful for all that you do to make a difference for the DDS Program!
