Kent’s New Smile

Let's bring Kent's smile back.  Think of someone you know and love that lights up the room with their laughter and smile.  Then think of how you'd feel if that same person stopped smiling and wasn't as quick to bust a gut laughing because he or she was embarrassed by their teeth.  That's Kent, and we want to help him because he's spent his adult life caring for his family and friends, expecting nothing in return.

Kent's family has a history of dental problems.  When Kent started having problems in his twenties his sole focus was providing for his two children.  He lived in his van, worked three jobs; ensured that his kids had a roof over their heads; healthy meals; whatever they needed to be successful at school; and, they saw a dentist and doctor on a regular basis.  Kent neglected his own health because his number one priority was his children, and he didn't understand the long term health issues that would arise from poor dental hygiene. 

After several years the court gave Kent sole custody of his children.   He continued to do whatever he had to for his children, still at the expense of his own health.   In 2016, when the kids were in their early twenties and Kent could have started prioritizing his health, his son Noah was tragically killed by a distracted driver at the age of twenty-one.  That crushed Kent, as any parent can imagine, so instead of prioritizing his health, all his energy went to just getting through each day.  Between the loss of Noah, and his breaking teeth, Kent stopped smiling and laughing.

Over the course of the last thirty years, Kent has lost most of his teeth or they are broken close to the  gum line.  He loves cooking and eating healthy, lots of fruits and vegetables, but because of his teeth he's limited to soups and overcooked food that he can chew.  The guy is so anxious to eat a salad again after more than a decade with no raw vegetables!!

This is much more than wanting a great smile again - there are 120 known health conditions associated with periodontal disease, including diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, Alzheimer’s, asthma, cancer, and more.
 
Losing even one tooth can create destruction of the remaining teeth, and a hidden consequence of losing many teeth is loss of bone. Without chewing pressure to stimulate bone, it begins to dissolve away and continues to shrink until prosthesis (dental implants are secured.

Hopefully this has given you some insight into this wonderful guy.  We could write more but instead we want you to hear what his daughter says about her dad, and what one of his close friends has written about him.

Kent’s daughter Sarah said “My dad is my reason for being who I am today.”  When our mother left myself and my little brother at daycare one random day and never came back to pick us up, me and Noah’s lives got turned upside down.  I was 7 and Noah was 4.  My dad and grandmother were in Florida so we were placed in foster care.  My dad did everything he could so we would be cared for family members until he could get home, but the law only allowed him or my mother to pick us up, so we had to endure a month in foster care.  I was so confused, not really sure what was happening, but what I knew for certain was that my dad would come for us!  I never had a doubt. 

When I was born my dad never put me down.  Our bond is so strong and true I have no words to express it.  After our mom left he had to fight for legal custody, and any father who has fought for primary custody in Ohio knows that it is an uphill battle, but he did everything it took so we could live with our grandmother until he obtained sole custody, which finally happened when I was in 6th grade.  He never gave up on us!  Finally moving back in with my dad was the greatest day in my life!  My childhood was filled with love and laughter, making so many wonderful memories.  He taught us how to cook and how to shop for fresh fruits and vegetables.  He taught us how to tend to a garden, one of his favorite things.  We had our tough times, but to see him never give up the fight, and always take time to teach us valuable life lessons, meant the world to us.  Dad guided us through hard times, and I simply don’t know who I would be without him.  He is my everything and more!  He is my HERO!   Dad constantly went without to give us what we needed.  It would mean the world to me to see him smile and laugh again without thinking twice.  I want him to be happy, no one on earth deserves it than he does!  I love you Papa!

 Here's what Kent's longtime friend Derek wrote about him a few months back…Things are not always what they seem on the surface.  Kent, unlike myself, who did what I did to fit in, stayed true to himself.  Never changing or trying to adapt to his current surroundings.  You had to take Kent at face value because that's all you got.  He has a hard as nails exterior.  A look in his eye that he would rather chew you up and spit you out rather than talk to you.  However, if you are brave enough to break through all that, you find a man that has a heart of gold and a loyalty unlike anything you've ever seen.  A keen wit and intelligence like none other.  I am lucky to have been able to call him my friend for over 30 years…I knew this dude was going to be a lifelong friend, one I can trust and count on to have my back, no matter the situation.  Kent, by his own admission, has been through hell and back several times due in part to his own actions, but his loyalty to his friends and family never wavers.  The test of man is not how he handles success, but how he handles failure.  Kent has always turned his failures into success.  Bringing himself from the depths of despair to the top of his field.  Never living his life in a rear view mirror.  Life is what's in the windshield.  Look forward, not behind.  I don’t know what compelled me to write this tonight.  Just felt it needed to be said.  I have been blessed in my life to have 3 friends that I could write similar posts about, this is just mine and Kent's story.  There is so much more I could write, but my beer is empty and the fire is almost out, so I'll leave you here with this.  Always be loyal to your true friends.  You know who they are.  (June 2019)

Now Kent is anxious to get his smile back.  He wants to be the laughing, smiling guy he used to be, no longer self-conscious.  He wants to eat raw fruits and vegetables, enjoy a steak, and improve his overall health.