A PRO BONO STORY OF COMPASSION
Two dentists -- Dr. Michael Scherer, D.D.S., M.D., and Dr. Katherine Borello, D.D.S. recently adopted a special case in their offices. It all began with a toothache and a desire to be able to smile again. A 31 year old west suburban resident could feel the holes that had developed in his remaining teeth. Not being able to stand either hot or cold food, the recovering drug addict hadn’t seen a dentist for more than ten years.
In April, he visited Dr. Borello’s office, hoping to get some relief from the pain. Realizing he needed a specialist, he was referred to Wheaton Oral Surgery & Implant Center. It was determined that the All-on-4 ® Dental treatment concept may be an option for him. The All-on-4 ® Dental Procedure is an alternative to traditional dentures, allowing a patient to come in and walk out with new teeth all in the same day. After several visits and communication with Hanna, he was a perfect candidate for the treatment; but he couldn’t afford the procedure.
The patient was nearing his one-year anniversary of being drug free, and he was still having difficulty finding employment. There was just something about his story that touched Jennifer Hockey, the Implant Treatment Coordinator at Wheaton Oral Surgery & Implant Center. “I meet many people from all walks of life and this story stirred something inside of me that I couldn’t ignore,” said Hockey.
Hockey has witnessed compassion from Dr. Scherer and his staff on countless occasions and that is what inspired her to do all that she could to help. Unsure of what the outcome would be, she talked with the manufacturer representative from Nobel Biocare, Mike Guinta, and to her surprise they had a pro bono program. Hockey also reached out to Artistic Dental Lab to see if they could offer financial assistance. The lab decided to participate, and their compassion started a snowball effect. In addition to Nobel Biocare and the Lab, Dr. Scherer and Dr. Borello all agreed to waive their fees. The exciting part of this amazing story was when Dr. Scherer was able to deliver the news to the patient and his family that they would not endure any costs for this procedure. On October 2, this recovering addict had all his damaged teeth completely removed and they were replaced that same day with teeth supported by implants using this All-on-4 ® procedure. (See before and after pictures).
“I didn’t think I would ever be able to eat comfortably again, let alone have a new set of teeth that I could smile with,” remarked the patient. “I am over whelmed by the generosity and efforts to help me. I never thought I would be on the receiving end of such a blessing as this. There are still good people in the world, and Dr. Scherer and Dr. Borello and their staff are living proof of that!”
Dr. Michael Scherer D.D.S., M.D. is a board certified Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon practicing since 2004. He practices the full scope of surgical procedures and manages a wide variety of problems relating to the mouth, teeth and facial regions. His practice Wheaton Oral Surgery and Implant Center is located at 2323 Naperville Road, Suite 160 in Naperville. For more information please call (630) 364-2888 or visit www.wheatonoralsurgery.com.
