Going for gold

Karl Woodmansey was the only American dentist at the Paris Paralympic Games

Karl Woodmansey, D.D.S., M.A., nurtures an adventurous spirit. An assistant professor in the OHSU School of Dentistry, Woodmansey has applied to be an astronaut, driver of the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile and a decorator of the national Christmas tree at the White House.

He was surprised to discover that his experience this summer as the only American to serve as a dentist during the Paris Paralympic Games topped his favorite’s list.

“The Paralympics wasn’t even on my radar. In October 2023, I was notified that I was selected,” he said, after having applied to volunteer for the Olympics that occurred in July. Woodmansey is a faculty member in the School of Dentistry Endodontology Division.

The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games hosted more than 4,400 athletes from across the globe who competed in 22 different sports. They were cared for by about 250 health care professionals combined during the summer events that also included the Olympics, according to Fortune Media.

The three-story building he worked in had five dental treatment rooms stocked with the latest equipment in oral health care from Oral B and other sponsors. The Polyclinic clinic where the dental team worked was housed in the Paralympic Athletes Village. The games ran from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8.

In comparison, Team USA had about 60 of its own medical professionals who traveled with its various Paralympic teams, including physicians, orthopedists, physical therapists, athletic trainers and sports psychologists. They were in a separate building.

“But even Team USA had no dentists!” said Woodmansey, emphasizing the importance of the French dental facility for the athletes and coaches.

Most of the countries that participated in the games did not have medical professionals who attended. The Polyclinic clinic served as a hub for athletes to receive oral health care, X-rays, MRIs and other procedures.

Lost in translation

Woodmansey only speaks English. All but two of his patients spoke languages other than English as he treated them. Procedures took twice as long as they normally would because of the time spent translating as well as having to use unfamiliar European computer equipment that slowed keying in patient information.

He and his patients devised creative ways to communicate. For example, a patient from Morocco spoke Arabic and had someone translate her conversation to French over her cell phone so that the dental assistant could translate the conversation to English for Woodmansey.

“The translation was tedious, but everyone was appreciative of the care. It makes me appreciate the interpretation services that we have at OHSU,” he said.

The OHSU Interpreting Service limits misunderstandings and improves outcomes, among other essential benefits. The professionals are certified medical interpreters who adhere to a code of ethics.

There to help

In the United States, Woodmansey can treat six to eight patients each day. At the Paris Paralympics, he performed 35 root canals over 10 days on athletes and coaches the week leading up to the start of the games.

“I was there to do whatever needed to be done and do what I could to help,” he said.

There were two shifts a day; 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. He would work a shift and then have free time to explore the city’s sites like the Eiffel Tower and the Palace of Versailles.

While working his shift, he was constantly impressed by the quality of the clinics.

“I had microscopes and digital radiology. The dental clinic was part of a larger medical facility that included all aspects of medical care, including MRIs, said Woodmansey. “I had everything I needed.”

Adventurous spirit

Woodmansey has had a 37-year career as a general dentist and endodontist. He taught at Texas A&M for seven years before joining OHSU School of Dentistry part time last winter. He lives in Texas and travels to Oregon to be on campus once a month and he teaches online courses.

New experiences keep him invigorated, so Woodmansey regularly throws his hat in the ring for a chance to try something different. That’s what he did in 2022 in anticipation of the 2024 Olympics. But the call he got was for the Paralympics instead.

Root canals

The goal of the job is to provide a level of care for the athletes so they can continue to compete in their events. Though many of the patients he treated likely would have benefited from tooth extractions, he opted to perform root canals. This allowed the athletes to recover in time to compete in their sport or the coaches to continue their work without a long recovery time.

“Root canals enable us not to extract the tooth,” he said.

The experience in Paris was the highlight of Woodmansey’s year. It gave him a new appreciation for the work that goes into preparing for and hosting the Paralympics and Olympics.

Would he volunteer again to serve at future games?

“Absolutely!” he exclaimed.

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Story by Rhonda Morin, APR   Photos by Karl Woodmansey