DLN Success Stories — Iowa Patient Saved by Donated Care

Gary, 65, lived in Oregon and Arizona before moving to Iowa to be near his three sons after his wife passed away. Gary owned a subscription agency through Hearst Publications for over 30 years before times became difficult and he was forced to foreclose. What was once a flourishing business was gone, and Gary lost everything in the process.

Gary is currently trying to maintain his health after three kidney transplants and a liver transplant. He had been using a snap-on denture for the last three years, but over time the dentures no longer snapped on and he was struggling to make it work.

Although Gary made annual appointments with a dentist for a dental cleaning, his oral health continued to decline and he was admitted to the ER due to a serious infection and concerns with maintaining his transplants and the remainder of his infected teeth.

Gary was diagnosed with severe periodontal disease, receding gums, and tooth decay from his transplants and medications, and had to get his implants and the remainder of his teeth extracted. Unfortunately, his limited monthly income was exhausted just by meeting his basic needs and he had no extra money to get the treatment or dentures he would need moving forward.

Fortunately, a counselor where Gary lives referred him to the Donated Dental Services (DDS) program and he was connected with volunteer dentist Dr. Christopher Cowherd as well as Dental Prosthetic Services.

Dr. Cowherd fitted Gary for the full upper and lower dentures that would be generously donated by Dental Prosthetic Services. Gary was so excited to receive his new teeth, saying they look real and give him the confidence to go out in public and smile. He believes that Dental Lifeline Network saved his life and he is now feeling good mentally and physically in the wake of his serious health scare.

“It was a very excellent experience. They were so friendly, kind, compassionate, positive, with great personalities. [Dr. Cowherd is] an excellent doctor and I’d recommend him to anyone.” – Gary

“I’ve known Chris for close to 10 years. His enthusiasm for volunteering is unmatched. It’s because of special people like Chris that makes this program work in the best of ways.” — Dr. Jay Davidson, Dental Lifeline Network • Iowa leadership council chair.

The post DLN Success Stories — Iowa Patient Saved by Donated Care appeared first on Dental Lifeline Network.