Alumni Spotlight: The “Mother Teresa” of Dentistry – Teresa Grygo DMD 86
Her heartstrings were pulled. That’s what Teresa Grygo DMD 86 felt when she first read about an opening for a dentist to treat people affected by homelessness. Now, after 16 years as the dental director at Healthcare for the Homeless–Houston, Grygo said the role is her true professional calling.
“Those experiencing homelessness are just like everybody else,” Grygo said. “They are people that have come with their own excellent qualities, and some not so excellent qualities. They’re just people who have made mistakes, who have maybe not been in the best situations, [or] have had a bad history. They’re just lovable, like everybody. And you just try to see them, see the best in people maybe, and then just have a heart that forgives the worst and a mind that forgets the bad and you just look at them like everybody else.”
Grygo was honored at the GSDM Alumni Weekend reception in September with the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award. Over 37 years of dental practice, Grygo has worked in private practice, corporate dentistry, and public health, but she said working with patients affected by homelessness has been the most rewarding. She said she accepted the award on behalf of all her patients, as those affected by homelessness tend to be “invisible,” and this was her way of making them seen.
“I accepted the award wholehearted and very gratefully, because I just think that God gave me such an opportunity to help people in such a unique way,” Grygo said.
As the dental director at Healthcare for the Homeless–Houston (HHH), Grygo handles the clinical oversight of all dental care and services within the organization. The organization’s mission is to promote health, hope, and dignity for those affected by homelessness through accessible and comprehensive high-quality care. The organization provides care to anyone who needs it, regardless of their ability to pay.
In Grygo’s remarks after accepting the alumni award, she said it can be emotionally strenuous working with patients affected by homelessness, as she is not only treating teeth; she is also mending troubled, scared, and vulnerable hearts.
“I remember thinking to myself: My name is Teresa and I’m a mother, I can be like Mother Teresa! [I am] still working on that one,” she said. “I can honestly say that I had found my niche. I was there not only to restore teeth and smiles but also to build relationships, to serve the brokenhearted, to create a place of healing and learning. I was there to do wonderful things, and I found fulfillment and life, life in abundance.”
For those trying to find their own dental niche, Grygo said one doesn’t have to be a dental director to treat those experiencing homelessness. She said she encourages people within the dental community–from pre-dental students to those who have already graduated/currently practicing–to volunteer, go on mission trips, and/or find a community health centers. She said she hopes others will feel inspired to work with those experiencing homelessness, as they are incredible individuals worthy of high-quality dental care.
“It is such a beautiful experience,” Grygo said. “You don’t have to go out of the country to experience it, but it’s so heartwarming just to be able to reach out and just help that person that really, really needs it. It’s very special.”