John Gonzales, a Marine Corps veteran who said he has not smiled in years, is scheduled to get a new smile within the next few months through “Smiles for Soldiers,” a program created by Dr. Robert Ioppolo.
Ioppolo is an oral and facial surgeon at Hill & Ioppolo Oral & Dental Implant Surgery of Lubbock.
Years without a smile
Gonzales joined the Marine Corps at 23. After 13 months, he was medically discharged, which brought him to Texas.
For years, Gonzales did not smile because he was insecure.
“I haven’t had a smile probably since I moved to Texas after the Marine Corps in ’93,” Gonzales said. “So it was a culture shock to move to Lubbock, but from California.”
Gonzales said he is looking forward to smiling again.
Source: Marine veteran to receive new smile through ‘Smiles for Soldiers’ / KCBD.com