Dubai: An Indian expat in Dubai is now smiling after getting the gift of a tooth.
Rajah Jaganathan, 47, hailing from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, said he had forgotten how to smile after losing his front tooth last year.
The father of one said on one of the occasions when he was playing with his son, the little boy accidently kicked his face, breaking a front tooth and chipping another.
Life changed drastically after this incident for the Indian expat, a former collection agent in Dubai, now selling insurance for a living.
“I stopped smiling. I lost all my confidence to talk to people. I put on a serious face. My family and friends became worried for me. To make matters worse, I lost my job a few months and I was struggling to find a new one,” he explained.
“I cannot say for sure if I was not getting a job because of my missing front tooth. I do know that I was faced with a string of rejections on my job applications. It could also be a fact that I did not smile or was conscious to talk. This may have put off potential employers. Besides the economy was suffering as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and it did not help my situation.”
Finally a Good Samaritan in Dubai came to his rescue and gifted him his smile back.
Dr. Maysoon Abdelmajeed of Dr Tosun Dental Clinic in Al Wasl Road, Umm Suqueim, Dubai heard about his situation through local radio channel Dubai Eye.
“His situation touched my heart. Jaganathan was in a catch 22 situation. He was not finding a job because of a missing tooth and he could not get a new tooth because he did not have a job and could not afford the cost of implanting one. What could he do?”
“When I heard his story I knew I had to do something about it and get the man back on his feet. Besides, he has a wife and a baby and was struggling to find a job. I knew I had to step in quick.”
And so within a week of contacting Jaganathan, Abdelmajeed gave him smile back. “We replaced the missing tooth. Also the other front tooth which was chipped was fixed as well.”
“I want to thank my amazing ceramist Juan Ibrahim for his kindness in helping me do the treatment free of charge. Rajah’s story is an example of how a poor smile can detrimentally affect your career, your mental health and self-confidence. It’s also an example of how a little bit of kindness and effort can go a long way and change someone’s life.”
Jaganathan said he could contain his tears and happiness when the doctor gave him the mirror to show his tooth fixed. “It was unbelievable. I thought I would have to live with this all my life. My wife kept telling me before I don’t smile anymore. Now she is happy that I am smiling again. I am so grateful to Dr. Abdelmajeed and her team for this.”
