Dentist pays $15,000 bill for military veteran's dental work

HOUSTON, Tx. - Most of us don’t look forward to going to the dentist, but this story could relieve some fears about your next visit. 

When retired Staff Sergeant David Tyler Harmon and dentist, Dr. David Nguyen, met at their local gym, Harmon decided to book a cleaning. He had no idea it would turn into two weeks of dental work. He also didn’t know about the kindness in his new dentist’s heart. 

"I came in for a cleaning, and he's like, 'My goodness!'" Harmon told FOX 26. "And I start telling him all the pain I'm in."

Some of his pain was from severe teeth grinding that stems from the head trauma he suffered while serving in the U.S. Air Force. 

"There was infection in his gum tissue, a lot of cracked teeth everywhere, a lot of crowding, a lot of grinding problems," described Dr. Nguyen, a dentist at URBN Dental River Oaks in Houston.

The dental work came to a grand total of $15,000, and Harmon would need help from the Veterans Administration to pay for the procedures. 

Instead of waiting months for the paperwork to go through the VA, Dr. Nguyen wanted to help him immediately and cease his pain. So, he took care of the bill and went to work. 

“When he heard me say that I couldn't pay the bill, he came in, and he was like, ‘Don't charge him anything.’” said Harmon as he broke into tears. 

For Dr. Nguyen, it was the least he could do. 

"All veterans are heroes," said Dr. Nguyen. "They give up so much for this country, and whatever I can do just to help him out a little bit, it's all worth it to me."

Watch the video to see how these once strangers became friends.