U.S. Navy veteran Paul Anaya lost most of his teeth from a grenade explosion while serving in Iraq.
“I have lived for a long time looking like a jack-o-lantern,” said Anaya, who served three tours overseas in the Gulf. “You know when someone is looking at you, and they try to not stare at your mouth. Well, I got that every day. It gets to you and impacts your confidence.”
Frank Nelson and his team at Advanced Dental Implant Center wanted to help restore Anaya's confidence through a special gift for Veterans Day: the gift of a new smile.
Anaya's free dental care, valued at $48,000, includes full mouth dental implants that secure a permanent bridge (new teeth) on the upper and lower arches of Anaya's mouth. The dental procedure, commonly known as fixed arch dental implants, is an advanced procedure that Dr. Nelson completes daily for patients.
“It’s as close to real teeth as you can get,” Nelson said. “But even beyond what the transformation will do for Paul’s physical appearance, we see every day the impact it has on our patients’ overall well-being. This is a new start for Paul, and we feel privileged to be able to help Paul, and to honor him this Veterans Day for his sacrifice and service to our country.”
Anaya, a Mesa resident, visited Nelson at Advanced Dental Implant Center, 3530 S. Val Vista Drive, Ste. 201, Gilbert, on Thursday as a follow-up appointment to the dental implant surgery.
“I would never have been able to afford this,” Anaya said. “For someone to alter your life like this and help you like this, it just doesn’t seem to happen anymore. When I served in the Navy, I spent more time away from my family, and for someone to recognize that and want to help me now, I am just so grateful.”
Anaya is not alone in his dental care needs. According to the American College of Prosthodontists, 178 million Americans are missing at least one tooth and more than 35 million Americans are missing all their teeth on one or both arches. For most military veterans, like Anaya, dental care is not included in their military benefits.
“I am most looking forward to having people look at me like I am not a monster,” Anaya said. “I want to be able to smile and not worry about my mouth.”
The implants have benefits beyond his appearance, Nelson said.
“In addition to being able to smile, Paul is going to be able to eat food again and that helps with his overall nutrition and health,” he said.
Said Anaya: “The last time I bit into an apple, a remaining tooth fell out. I like to eat steak and to be able to eat steak again and actually chew it will be great.
“This is life changing for me. I want to live my life now. This is the change I need, and I can never be grateful enough.”