Huntington Beach dentist helps Marine veteran who broke tooth wh - Erie News Now | WICU & WSEE in Erie, PA

Huntington Beach dentist helps Marine veteran who broke tooth while surfing

By Michele Gile

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    HUNTINGTON BEACH, California (KCAL, KCBS) -- A Marine veteran who broke his tooth while surfing has a reason to smile today after a Huntington Beach dentist stepped in to help.

Marine Corps veteran Brendan Gilmour had only surfed twice before taking part in the Waves of Valor event in Huntington Beach, where volunteer instructors teach veterans how to ride the waves for therapy and recreation.

Gilmour said he was just getting the hang of it when a wave sent his surfboard straight at his mouth.

"I instantly knew something was wrong," Gilmour said. "Went and put my finger in my mouth to check my tooth, and sure enough, half of it was gone."

Gilmour said he was bummed when he realized his front tooth was broken. However, he got some good news after a nurse on the beach checked him out and his surf instructor Louis Rice called a friend.

Rice looped in his brother, Dr. Muhammed Khan, an urgent care dentist and a veteran who works just a few blocks away from the beach.

"When that was broken, the nerve was not exposed, so we were able to bond it back with composite and match the color identically," Khan said. "It looked like his identical tooth back again."

Gilmour, who worried about getting the tooth repaired, was not expecting people to care so much and get it done on the same day.

"Instead of letting it ruin my weekend, I went in there, got my tooth fixed and left with a big smile," Gilmour said. "It was a wonderful experience. It speaks a lot to that community there."

Khan said he was glad he could help Gilmour.

"We are here to help as much as we can," Khan said. "It's an honor and a pleasure for us to do this for our veterans and our community.

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