Dentist Helps Veterans Get Their Smiles Back

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – A local dentist is helping military veterans smile once again.

Larry Killough was looking forward to this trip to the dentist.

The Saltillo resident is a Vietnam era veteran.  He’ll remember this Veteran’s Day as the day he got his smile back.

“I’ve been very embarrassed for quite awhile,” Killough said.

Killough had a cap that broke off, and his insurance didn’t cover that type of dental work.

But Killough found out about Doctor Abby Raymond.  The U S Army veteran opened the “Affordable Dentures and Implants” practice in Tupelo two years ago ,  and realized he was able tO KEEP A promise HE made while serving in Afghanistan.

“I promised myself, God, get me out of this place,  and I will make sure I do my due diligence to take care of anybody that I can, be ethical and do the right thing,” Dr. Raymond said.

Doctor Raymond and his staff, provided free dental care to veterans Monday.  Doctor Raymond trained as a dentist through the U S Army Health Professions Scholarship Program and wants to do what he can to honor veterans.

“Our country is, what, 300 million plus people, but everybody knows somebody who has served. Their grandfather, father, uncle, niece, nephew, so even right now , with state of Mississippi, they give a lot, we have a unit currently deployed in the Middle East , so everybody is sacrificing,” Dr. Raymond said.

Those who served, are more than grateful.

“I think it’s a good thing to do,” said Clarence Partlow, a Korean era U S Army veteran.

“I didn’t have any real hope, couldn’t afford it at the time. He just said, I;m going to take care of it, and he took care of it, to be able to relax around my family , around people and smile again,” Killough said.

Doctor Raymond is hoping to get other dentists involved in an outreach to provide more services to veterans.