Harold, 61, is an Air Force veteran living with his wife and son in Gadsden. He suffers from several health issues including heart disease and diabetes. After his military service, Harold had a 24 year career in the auto service and steel industries before his declining health left him unable to work any longer.
In addition to his health concerns, Harold hadn’t been to a dentist since 2000 and his dental health had drastically deteriorated. With only six teeth remaining, eating a healthy diet with few teeth was very challenging.
Harold with Dr. Gordon “Ross” Isbell IV (center), Dr. Gordon R. Isbell III and assistant, Jen Burk.
Sadly, Harold was unable to afford the dental treatment he needed. The family survives on his Social Security Disability benefit and struggles to make ends meet. He was desperate for help with his teeth, but it seemed he had nowhere to turn for help.
How DDS Helped
Fortunately, Harold was referred to the Donated Dental Services (DDS) program and he was linked with two generous volunteers.
• Dr. Ross Isbell extracted all remaining teeth and donated full upper and lower dentures.
• Oral Arts Dental Laboratories of Huntsville fabricated the dentures at no cost.
“It has been a pleasure getting to know Harold and his family. They are kind, wonderful people and we even had the honor of being invited to and attending his son’s wedding. Our practice is so blessed to be involved with this organization.” —Dr. Ross Isbell, DDS Volunteer
“It was a blessing that I found DDS. I now feel more confident speaking with people and I don’t mind smiling. I can eat just about anything and I feel better all around. Thank you so much for helping me.” —Harold, DDS Patient
Learn more about volunteering or to learn about DDS in your state, visit our state pages.
