Most of the time, crashing into another car would really ruin your day. Yet for Greg Cuta of Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania, a chance collision with a stranger gave him a new lease on life!
Greg was driving one morning when he hit black ice and collided with Cecilly Rudalavage of Ambler, Pennsylvania. No one was injured, and Greg was extremely apologetic as he and Cecilly examined their cars. As they spoke, Cecilly couldn’t help but notice that Greg had very few teeth in his mouth.
Greg had fallen victim to “one bad dentist after another,” leading to a lifetime of pain, food restrictions, and embarrassment. He seldom smiled or even opened his mouth, if he could help it. His self-confidence has been knocked down at every turn, even by the people closest to him.
“My ex-wife told me not to smile at the wedding and it was embarrassing,”he recalled.
The reason Cecilly noticed and asked about his teeth is because she happens to be a dental implant sales rep for Ditron Dental, USA. She literally sells the same sort of dental implant that Greg desperately needed!
“I hit the right person at the right time,”said Greg.
“I’m just going to feel really good that I was put in the opportunity to help him,”Cecilly said.
Cecilly decided on the spot to help the stranger who had just hit her car. She reached out to her employer, who agreed to cover the cost of the dental components. She then used her contacts to locate Dr. Simon Oh, an implant surgeon in the Philadelphia area who is known for doing a lot of pro bono work. Dr. Oh agreed to help, and they set a date.
When Dr. Oh examined Greg, he found that he didn’t even have an upper jaw bone, so he can’t wear traditional dentures. Thankfully, this surgeon loves a challenge!
“For those patients, I really, really get a lot of fulfillment out of getting them back to where they used to be, build that confidence back up, and really get the most out of life that they can,” said Dr. Oh.
Dr. Oh and his team performed Greg’s surgery after hours and free of charge. Using state-of-the-art technology, they created a 3D model of Greg’s skull, which they used to fit him with permanent implants. Greg’s new smile is drop-dead gorgeous! Better yet, he’s finally able to eat his favorite foods again and greet everyone he meets with a smile.
Dr. Oh and his team were thrilled with Greg’s result and happy to be able to use their impressive skills to transform his life in such a meaningful way.
“It’s just really gratifying to not only have the skills to pull this off for somebody in need, but also work with such an awesome team that is so easily convinced to give back,” Dr. Oh said.
Greg couldn’t be more grateful for everyone’s kindness.
“I believe in karma,” he said. “If there was more people like me and Cecily and Dr. Oh, the world would be a better place.”
Cecilly is just glad she was able to use the resources available to her to help a fellow human in need. She’s incredibly thankful to everyone who donated their time, effort, and products to give Greg his brilliant new smile.
“If it wasn’t for everybody willing to work late and work at no cost, then this wouldn’t have happened for Greg,” Cecilly said. “It’s kind of amazing that everything came together like this and I’m so proud of being a part of something this big.”
Of all the cars Greg could have hit, he happened to hit the one driven by a dental implant sales rep! That’s what we call a “happy accident.”
Share this story to thank Cecilly and her team for going out of their way to help someone.
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