MARVIN FISK HUMANITARIAN AWARD: DR. KHURRAM KHAN
Dr. Khurram Khan is the 2025 recipient of the Ohio Dental Association Marvin Fisk Humanitarian Award.
Dr. Khurram Khan has dedicated time and resources to providing care to people in need who were born with facial differences both in his community and abroad. In recognition of his efforts, he will receive the Ohio Dental Association Marvin Fisk Humanitarian Award on Friday, Sept. 26 at the Callahan Celebration of Excellence, held in conjunction with the 159th ODA Annual Session.
“During the COVID pandemic he selflessly took care of emergency patients from all over the tri-state area, some driving two hours to see him. His practice provided free surgeries worth tens- of- thousands of dollars, as many could not afford treatment but were in dire need of help and were scared to go to hospital emergency rooms,” wrote the Cincinnati Dental Society in its nomination letter. “Since 2015 he has been participating in international cleft lip and palate mission trips, taking care of little ones who do not have access to the healthcare they desperately need. Through frequent mission trips with national and international organizations he is able to provide cleft treatment to babies and children to help restore some normalcy to these children and their family’s lives. These children would otherwise be unable to eat and drink properly, would most likely be made to feel self-conscious about their differences and continue to struggle the rest of their lives with medical and dental complications due to an unrepaired cleft lip and/or cleft palate.”
Khan said it’s very humbling and means a lot to him to receive the Humanitarian Award.
He said that he has been fascinated by the face since he was a young child and when he was 5 years old, drew his first portrait.
“Oral surgery is an artistic expression of how you perceive the face and I decided that this is my calling,” he said.
Khan received his BDS from the Baqai Medical and Dental University in Karachi, Pakistan in 2003 and went on to receive his DMD from the Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine in 2009. He then completed an oral and maxillofacial surgery internship at Louisianna State University Health Sciences Center and an OMS residency at Indiana University School of Medicine and Dentistry.
During his residency he decided to serve his country and joined the United States Air Force. Following the completion of his residency program at IU, Khan was stationed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton for four years. He was an attending oral and maxillofacial surgeon and went on to become the chief of oral and maxillofacial Surgery.
“While I was in my residency, I remembered something my father always told me and that is don’t ever forget where you come from,” Khan said. “The direct, literal meaning is don’t forget your hometown, but then also there is an aspect of don’t forget where you are today. This country has given me so much, so I joined the Air Force and served this country that had given me so much and I thought this would be a good way to give back.”
After completing his military service, Khan did a one-year pediatric cleft and craniofacial surgery fellowship at Charleston Area Medical Center.
He then had the opportunity to start his own private practice in Cincinnati in 2019.
“My practice name is About Face Surgical Arts – the reason why is I’m a face surgeon, it’s all about the face, but about face is military term so it’s an homage to my military career,” Khan said.
In his practice, he does oral surgery and also treats patients who have facial differences, and as one of the few practices specializing in this he sees patients from all across the country.
“It’s an exciting part of my practice where we can provide dignity to these patients, because they have been bullied their entire life,” Khan said. “All they really want is not to be seen because they’re constantly seen, constantly made fun of, all they want is to be normal where nobody really looks at them. It’s an amazing feeling to be able to do that. Recently I had a patient who didn’t want to go to her graduation, but she had surgery before graduation and her mother was crying because her child would be walking on stage to get her high school diploma. It’s a blessing, I’m living the dream. These are all things I wanted to do as a kid and suddenly I’m doing it.”
In addition to seeing patients in Cincinnati, Khan has participated in international cleft lip and palate mission trips across the world for the last 10 years.
A year ago, he and his wife decided to start the Smiles Unite Us Foundation, which helps fund surgeries for patients who cannot afford care both in the United States and abroad.
So far, Dr. Khan has led two mission trips to Pakistan with Smiles Unite Us Foundation. The foundation has funded surgeries for about 50-60 babies, and its third trip is planned for November.
“The beautiful thing is we see these kids every six months,” Khan said. “Not only that, we’ve now had consistent surgeons coming in with me who are donating their time and their efforts to come on these mission trips.”
Khan said he was inspired to start the foundation after a mission trip to Mexico a few years ago when a patient’s mother came up to him in tears.
“She said ‘I was praying and dreaming about you coming back because you took care of my son, he needs another surgery and I wanted you to do it,’” Khan said. “These parents don’t know the language, I come from a different language, country, culture, and they don’t have an option but to give up their child to us. It’s a big deal, I don’t ever take it lightly, where you’re giving up your child to someone you don’t know and saying OK operate on them. Having consistency because she knew me, we took pictures, hugged, for her to see my face again, she trusted me now. That really changed things for me where I said the children I’ve operated on, the parents I’ve built a bond with, I want to see them back every six months. The only way to do this is to have my own foundation.”
Khan said he thinks it’s important to give back to others because the only way to derive true happiness is to impart happiness to others.
“I’m a true believer that if we are not a benefit to others, then I don’t understand what else is the point of life,” Khan said. “We’re very fortunate that we live in this country, we have a lot. And I have two children, an 8-year-old and 4-year-old; I want to be the best version of myself for my children. My parents taught me, if God gives you something, it’s because he wants to give to someone else. It’s not for you to keep, it’s to give to someone else. Whether it’s knowledge, money or expertise. That’s my basis for why I do what I do.”
Khan is a member of the Cincinnati Dental Society, Ohio Dental Association and American Dental Association. He is also a member of the American Cleft Palate – Craniofacial Association, American Dental Society of Anesthesiology, American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America.
Khan said he thinks organized dentistry is important because of the exchange of ideas and because we’re stronger together.
“The community, sharing of ideas, ability to impact in a larger way, that’s why I think organized dentistry is absolutely fantastic and fabulous,” he said.
Outside of dentistry, Khan said he loves being a dad and spending time with his family. He enjoys cars and spending time outdoors, and doing the things his kids are passionate about.
Khan would like to thank his wife, Zofeen Khan, who has been supporting him for the last 20 years and is co-founder of the Smiles Unite Us Foundation, and his mom, Shahana Khan, who has always believed in and supported him.
The Marvin Fisk Humanitarian Award is given to dentists who are working to improve the oral health of people in need, of all ages and from all walks of life. The award winners give of their time and energy overseas or closer to home, spending hours and personal resources to help fight illnesses.
