Andalusia veteran receives dental surprise
An Andalusia National Guard veteran has received a huge surprise that left him with a big grin.
Rafael Salter has struggled with teeth damage and pain for most of his life, but through W.I.S.E. Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Specialists, he is the first-ever recipient in the Smiles for Soldiers program.
Salter is getting a $50,000 full smile transformation at no cost.
The Smiles for Soldiers program was created to give back to those who serve, restoring not only oral health, but also the veterans’ confidence, function and quality of life.
“Missing a handful of teeth and some of the remaining teeth that he does have, have decay extensively that we either need multiple appointments for root canals and crowns. Do we save what he has left and spend tens of thousands of dollars and 20, 30 appointments to get it all done, or do we do all of this in one day? You get your temporary set of teeth in one day and then the next day, you get your final set of teeth and do that. That’s where we’re at and that’s ultimately the choice that Mr. Salter made,” Dr. Cameron Walsh of W.I.S.E. Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Specialists said.
“One thing that people notice is a smile, and I would like to, when I smile, would like my smile to be warm. I feel like everybody should have a great smile even though, as I stated, there are problems and I really just miss having mine,” Salter said.
Salter is scheduled to have full dental surgery in February.
For more information on the Smiles for Soldiers program, click here.
