Congratulations to our 2019 Free Braces Giveaway winner, Dominic!

As a way to give back to the community, Dr. Michael Thurman of Thurman Orthodontics hosted a contest in search of a winner for free braces. The community was encouraged to nominate a deserving individual to receive free orthodontic treatment at the practice. Hundreds of Kern County residents submitted entries via the practice’s website over the two-week entry period.

Dominic was nominated to receive free orthodontic treatment by his aunt, Crystal. In her submission she explained how her nephew is smart, funny, sweet and fun to be around. However, when he was a toddler, his grandmother was carrying him upstairs and accidentally fell, busting his mouth open. He still has a scar on his bottom lip, and Dominic’s Aunt Crystal wanted him to be able to smile confidently and finally get the orthodontic care he deserves.

“I just hope one day he’ll be able to finally get a chance to fix his teeth that were messed up from a terrible accident (that my mom still feels so guilty about) and he’ll be able to have a huge grin more often,” said his Crystal, Dominic’s Aunt, in her nomination.

On Monday, August 12, Dominic’s grandmother accompanied him to Thurman Orthodontics when Dominic got his braces on. Dr. Thurman and the team are thrilled to give Dominic the life-changing award of a new smile.

“We were all touched by Dominic’s story and wanted to give him a smile he can share proudly with the world. Being an orthodontist is truly a gift, and seeing someone’s confidence level soar after finishing orthodontic treatment is one of the many reasons I love this profession,” said Dr. Michael Thurman. “We are continuously looking for ways to give back to the Kern County community that has been so wonderful to us, and we couldn’t be happier to award Dominic with free braces.”