Reason to smile

A Washougal dental practice has improved the life of a local volunteer.

Washougal Family Dental, owned by Dr. Justin Cochell and Tarra Cochell, provided complimentary extractions of 18 teeth, followed by the delivery of dentures for Downtown Washougal Association (DWA) Volunteer Coordinator AJ Bogue.

Justin Cochell said he, along with Tarra and their staff, had previously worked on DWA projects with Bogue, including the Downtown Washougal Pumpkin Harvest Festival in October of 2017, when Washougal Family Dental provided apples and toys for children at the festival.

“(Bogue) was working so, so hard to make these events as good as they can be,” Justin Cochell said. “His incredibly positive outlook and dedication to his community really stood out to us.”

Bogue, 58, receives Social Security Disability benefits, because of a back injury he sustained as an independent contractor in 1999. He said insurance would have only covered a small amount of the dental work, and he could not afford to pay any amount.

Tarra Cochell said Bogue came to the Washougal Family Dental office in January and was in pain. An exam revealed that he had four teeth with active infections as well as periodontal (gum) disease, which had caused severe bone loss on all of his teeth.

“After discussing options with (Bogue), he decided the best course of action would be to extract all teeth to prevent further infection and issues in the future,” Tarra Cochell said.

Prior to the extractions, Bogue said he rarely opened his mouth. He was missing three teeth in the front, and some of his existing teeth were crooked.

Bogue said his wife of 30 years, Beth, loves his new smile.

“Now I get to smile like I used to,” he said.

Bogue will continue to visit Washougal Family Dental for adjustments to his dentures, as needed.

This is not the first time Washougal Family Dental has contributed to the community.

The practice provided more than $12,000 worth of dental treatments to 23 children during a dental day in June of 2017, and plan to host a similar event in October of this year.

Future DWA events include Pirates in the Plaza on Sept. 15, Oktoberfest on Sept. 28-29 and the Pumpkin Harvest Festival on Oct. 27. For information about volunteer opportunities, contact Bogue at dwavolunteers@gmail.com.