Last year in the town of Hendricks, Minnesota, the community came together to celebrate the life of the late Pearl Asbjörnson, a longtime member of the community who died a quarter century earlier, recognizing her impact as a volunteer.
A nursing aide and music teacher, Pearl Asbjörnson also would frequently receive letters of thanks from former students.
Those letters have stayed in the memory of her grandson, Jon Asbjörnson, DDS, a 1987 alumnus of the UNMC College of Dentistry. It was from his grandparents and parents, he said, that he learned the importance of service to others.
That is a commitment he practices through volunteer work both with the UNMC College of Dentistry and at local dental outreach clinics in Lincoln, where he also maintains a family practice, Generations Dental, with his daughters, UNMC graduates Kate Asbjörnson, DDS, and dental hygienist Molly Asbjörnson-Regelean.
“A big part of who we are and what we do comes from those that have supported us, whether they’re instructors, parents, grandparents, mentors,” Dr. Jon Asbjörnson said. “We wouldn’t be where we are at without them.
“That’s how you learn to appreciate what you have, to recognize those who are less fortunate, and have the mind and heart to give back and help those people.”
The Asbjörnsons’ history with the dental college dates back to Jon’s father, the late Don Asbjörnson, class of 1962, who opened the practice that his son and granddaughters still run more than 60 years later.
Working with his father, Dr. Asbjörnson then found that volunteer dental work in Lincoln’s Clinic with a Heart and People City Mission brought him in touch with people who, like his grandparents and parents, were looking to make a difference in their community.
“You all come together to help people,” he said. “These efforts have grown tremendously, but you couldn’t do it without community support — local churches, local hospitals, local organizations – including students at the dental school — all play a part in making this work.”
At Clinic With a Heart, screenings used to take place in a person’s private office.
“Then we would find them a dental home,” he said. “From that, it’s morphed into a clinic, and they’re currently in the process of getting into a new facility, hopefully the end of next year.”
Recently, Dr. Asbjörnson has scaled back his work with Clinic With a Heart, although he still volunteers at the People City Mission.
In addition to his practice and volunteer work, Dr. Asbjörnson also serves as a part-time faculty member at the UNMC College of Dentistry, and he is a longtime member and past president of the UNMC College of Dentistry Alumni Association.
“I have the opportunity to give back to students and help them grow in their confidence and their knowledge, and I enjoy it,” he said.
“I myself am grateful and thankful for the instructors that I had when I was at the dental school,” he said. “Their support, knowledge and encouragement allowed me to be successful. I also am grateful that I can be a part time faculty member to help pass that on and pay that forward to those who are now learning.
“They eventually will go out and represent Nebraska and the UNMC College of Dentistry as dental professionals. I hope they will all be successful, not only as dental professionals, but people who give back to their community. I feel like I’m a small piece of that, because of my time at the UNMC College of Dentistry, and I’m happy to be able to continue that legacy.”