While growing up in some of America’s coldest, northernmost states—Wisconsin and Minnesota—David longed to live somewhere even wilder once he became an adult. He looked northward, setting his sights on Alaska, imagining himself as a small-town doctor or, better yet, a dentist. These days, he’s known as Dr. David Paape, founder of a local practice called Northstar Dental and a global nonprofit known as Compassionate Dental Care International. Beyond moving to Alaska, tooth tending is David’s dream. Between fishing trips in the Alaskan wilderness and volunteer work in developing countries, he cares for the community’s smiles with precision and gentleness. Northstar Dental’s services range from preventive exams, digital x-rays, and cleanings to repair work such as bridges and implants. To enhance smiles’ beauty, David also performs teeth-whitening treatments, which make enamel brighter than a supernova with a PhD.
