Athens area Army veteran with breaking teeth finds help at Commerce dentist's office
Athens native Melvin Huff will be more than happy to share his smile with anyone and everyone, thanks to some Veterans Day kindness from Affordable Dentures and Implants in Commerce.
Huff, 66, spent 22 years in the U.S. Army, retiring in 1997 after assignments at Fort Benning, Germany, Fort Campbell on the Kentucky-Tennessee border, Fort Knox, the Pentagon and Fort Stewart. Several years ago, he began having trouble with his teeth and didn’t have coverage to address the issue.
“I started having problems five or six years ago, but I didn’t pay attention to it,” said Huff. “I found out that I was a grinder and ground my teeth down to the small enamel and (my teeth) started breaking off.”
Huff’s dentist referred him to the Commerce office of Affordable Dentures, where he went in August for a consultation. When he learned he would not able to afford the extensive dental work required, he left the office dejected and with no Plan B.
But Kristy Hattaway, general manager of the Commerce office, knew that the company – which has some 400 clinics – had a We Care Veterans Program, and while she didn’t know the specifics, she was determined to help Huff.
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“I had heard that Affordable Dentures had participated in the We Care Veterans Program, where they sponsor veterans to give them free dental care,” said Hattaway. “I didn’t know the details of it or what it was going to take, but I knew we were going to participate in it.”
She quickly consulted Dr. Fatin Jweinat, who said she would perform the procedure, and then raced out to the parking lot to see if Huff was still around.
“My life partner and I were getting ready to depart Affordable Dentures, and we were thankful for Ms. Kristy because she was so helpful and did all she could to help us,” said Huff. “We went to the car and we were disappointed. Didn’t know what to do or where to go, but we kept faith going on. As we were about to leave, Ms. Kristy found our car and knocked on the window. She asked if I had served in the military. I said yes, for 22 years.”
“He was in the parking lot upset and defeated, and I tapped on the window and asked him if he would be willing to be our veteran for the year and explained to him that we wanted to give him the gift of a smile,” said Hattaway. “And he just lost it and I lost it. It was an emotional moment.”
As a result, Huff will have full mouth reconstruction on Friday, the day before Veterans Day is observed.
“I didn’t know the exact process but I knew we had to get him some teeth,” said Hattaway. “We took the impressions and he will have a new smile and implants on Friday. We’re pulling teeth and placing the implants – it’s a one-day deal.”
Jweinat said, “Mr. Huff is going to walk out of here with a complete, new smile. He’ll have a beautiful smile on the top, a complete implant placement on the bottom and with a denture that will snap to his implant and will give him a better lifestyle and better function.”
Both Hattaway and Jweinat said they were pleased and proud to provide the free service to a veteran.
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“He’s put his life on the line, the most selfless act anyone could ever give,” said Hattaway. “And if I could do this for him it, why would I not do that?
“He’s super-sweet. One thing that stood out to me is that even though he’s retired from military service he still represents his country. Nobody knew about this program and I didn’t know when I first met him. To see the love he still has for this country is commendable. He still holds our country in high regard, which is so commendable. He signed at the line and he still lives by that to this day. He and our veterans all over the world deserve our thanks.”
“When I met Mr. Huff, it was amazing,” said Jweinat. “I had a consultation with him and was blessed to learn about his history, and he talked about his service in the Army and it impressed me how honored and proud he is of serving our country. That meant a lot to me, to see someone who put (his) life out there for us, protecting us and trying to fight for our freedom that we’re able to enjoy. I can do my job every day because of people like Mr. Huff. That meant a lot to me.”
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Program helps Athens Army veteran find help at Commerce dentists office
