From one veteran to another: Local dentist gives veteran confidence back with free dentures

November 11, 2022 | 12:09 am

Updated November 10, 2022 | 10:35 pm

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Located on Calumet Trace just off KY 54, Affordable Dentures and Implants participates in a nationwide program where they commit to providing free dental services to deserving veterans. As a veteran himself, dentist Brandon Taylor jumped at the opportunity to join the program. This year, Taylor helped give another local veteran his confidence back with a new set of dentures after years of not having teeth.

The office selected two veterans to care for this year. One of those is Jason Haddock, a former hull technician and firefighter in the U.S. Navy. During his tenure in the military, Haddock regularly practiced welding and plumbing and often volunteered for fire and swimming rescue missions. 

“I quickly made rank and had an honorable discharge as Hull Technician Third Class Petty Officer,” Haddock said. “I completed eight years of honorable service, went on four deployments, and I’ve been around the world several times.”

Despite seeing the world over and meeting countless individuals, Haddock said the folks at Affordable Dentures and Implants are some the “most amazing, friendly, and caring people” he’s ever met. 

“When they told me they were going to do this procedure for me for Veterans Day, I went and cried for the first time in a long time,” he said. “I am so happy to have my confidence back.”

Haddock had gone several years of his life without teeth and had never worn dentures, often burdening his everyday life. Taylor and his team installed four dental implants with other surgical procedures for his lower jaw. 

The on-site dental lab then constructed an upper and lower denture and connected the lower denture to Haddock’s four implants. The denture simply “snaps” onto the implants for what Taylor refers to as “the best sound in dentistry.”

“This week, with both Election Day and Veterans Day, we’re reminded of the freedoms, like the right to disagree on politics because of the sacrifice of veterans and their families,” Taylor said. “We love celebrating those individuals we walk past in the market or on the street daily that currently serve or served in the past without asking for anything in return.”

Taylor served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Dental Corps before returning home to Owensboro to practice dentistry 12 years ago. He and the entire team at Affordable Dentures look forward to continuing the program for years to come and are already identifying two patients for next year.

November 11, 2022 | 12:09 am

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