'Be Kind:' Man receives his life-changing smile months after crash on Tacony-Palmyra Bridge
Dr. Oh used state-of-the-art technology to determine that Greg Cuta did not have any bone in his upper jaw.
FAIRLESS HILLS, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- In this week's "Be Kind," it's a reason to smile in more ways than one.
We have a follow-up to a dental team's effort to give one man his confidence back.
Action News first brought you the story of Greg Cuta and Cecilly Rudalavage in February.
Their cars were involved in a wreck on the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge.
But that crash ended up changing their lives for the better.
Rudalavage, of Ambler, works in the dental industry as a sale representative for Ditron Dental Implants.
She noticed Cuta was in dire need of expensive implants.
"The looks I get without my teeth... and with my ex, we went to a wedding, and she told me not to open my mouth and it brought me to tears," Cuta told Action News.
So Rudalavage connected him with Dr. Simon Oh, an implant surgeon in Fairless Hills
He's one of just two dentists in the region with experience in the difficult surgery Cuta needed for custom implants.
Dr. Oh used state-of-the-art technology, including a 3D printed model of Cuta's skull, to determine that he did not have any bone in his upper jaw. That made it impossible for him to wear dentures.
Dr. Oh and his team volunteered their time and services for free to help Cuta.
First, they gave him a temporary smile.
But recently, the team reassembled to give Cuta his permanent one.
It took a village including the dental lab who mill the prosthesis, Dr. Justin Le and all of the assistants at Smart Arches implants of Langhorne.
"He's been amazing this whole time period. We're so happy for him," Rudalavage said.
"At this stage, he's 100% success. We placed ten implants; all ten are doing amazing. There's not a single hiccup in his clinical case," Dr. Oh said.
Rudalavage shared a TikTok video of Cuta's reaction to his brand new pearly whites!
Rudalavage hopes she's able to organize this kind of pro bono work for others in the future, even offering to donate her sales bonus if her company allows it.
