When Gregory Cuta accidentally rear-ended another car after hitting a patch of black ice, he had no idea it would change his life—for good.
Greg from Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania, and Cecilly Rudalavage from Ambler, Pennsylvania collided as they were crossing over the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge.
Thankfully, no one was hurt and Greg profusely apologised for the incident as they examined their cars for any damage.
While they spoke, Cecilly, who happens to be a dental implant sales rep for Ditron Dental, USA, couldn’t help but notice that Greg had very few teeth in his mouth.
Unfortunately for Greg, the man had fallen victim to “one bad dentist after another.” Poor dental service has made him suffer through a lifetime of pain, food restrictions, and embarrassment. He never smiled or opened his mouth, even if it meant he couldn’t.
Greg’s confidence had been at its lowest for the longest time. Worse, even his closest friends contributed to his declining self-esteem.
“My ex-wife told me not to smile at the wedding and it was embarrassing,” he recalled.
Greg met someone who worked for a company that sold the exact type of implant he needed.
“I hit the right person at the right time,” he said.
Cecilly decided to help the stranger, who had just hit her car. She called her employer and was immediately able to pay for the dental parts.
She used her contacts to contact Dr. Simon Oh in Philadelphia, an implant surgeon who is well-known for his pro bono work. He agreed to help and they set up a date.
“I’m just going to feel really good that I was put in the opportunity to help him,” Cecilly said.
When Greg underwent an examination, Dr. Oh discovered that he didn’t have an upper jaw bone, which would make it impossible for him to wear traditional dentures. Luckily, the good dentist isn’t one to back away from 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,” Dr. Oh said.
Dr. Oh and his team performed Greg’s surgery after hours and didn’t charge him a single penny. They first created a 3D model of Greg’s skull using state-of-the-art technology, which they used to fit him with permanent implants.
After the surgery, Greg’s smile—and self-confidence—is finally back! He can now eat his favorite foods and greets everyone with his sparkling, new smile.
Dr. Oh and his team are equally thrilled with Greg’s results, and they feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to help somebody 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,” said Dr. Oh.
Greg is grateful to everyone who helped with his brilliant new smile.
“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 also grateful to all those who contributed their time, effort and products to make this life-changing change possible.
“If it wasn’t for everybody willing to work late and work at no cost, then this wouldn’t have happened for Greg,” she 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.”
Greg collided among all the cars that he could have driven, but he was struck by one driven by a sales rep for dental implants. Indeed, it’s fate that brought them together!
In the video below, Greg and Cecilly share their story.
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