A war hero received thousands of dollars worth of dental work for free thanks to a local dentist office and a non-profit organization.
Sgt. James Weinhold has served six tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. During those years, he wasn't able to get proper dental care. Sgt. Weinhold also regularly chewed tobacco to stay awake on night patrols and, as a result, his teeth continued to get worse.
"After the war started, you're doing deployment after deployment and you keep going over there. The last thing you think about is your teeth," Sgt. Weinhold said. "In combat, it's staying alive and completing the mission. That's the only two things you're worried about."
On Thursday, Sgt. Weinhold completed his fourth and final treatment at Advanced Care Smile. He got connected to the dentist office through Rebuilding America’s Warriors, a nonprofit organization that provides free reconstructive surgery to veterans and military members.
"They did everything. They set up appointments for you and everything. I came in and didn't know what to expect. They said everything is taken care of, financially," Sgt. Weinhold recalled.
Dr. Jason Kboudi helped restore his upper front teeth with porcelain veneers and crowns.
"We believe that our veterans and our military deserve to have good dental health and have a great smile,” Dr. Kboudi said. “So, if we can help them get to that, then it's our pleasure to be able to do that.”
"People say all the time: Thank you for your service. But it's now my turn to say thank you to these organizations," Sgt. Weinhold said.
The venners were donated by Beverley Hills Dental Labatory. For more information about Rebuilding America’s Warriors, you can visit their official website here.