‘Why Not Him?’: Stroud Dentist's Kind Gesture Brings Smile To Fellow OU Fan

An OU fan captured at last Saturday’s game caught some flack on social media for his appearance. One Oklahoma man saw the photo and wanted to bring kindness into the picture.

That trip to the dentist is one most people are not smiling about. “You can avoid us if you want, but it ends up kinda being more work in the long run,” said Brett Francis, a dentist at Dental Designs of Stroud. 

Francis gives people a reason to smile. Tooth decay affects 90% of American adults. “I don’t think people realize how many people are truly affected,” Francis said. 

The x-rays in one of Francis’s exam rooms illustrated a serious example. “He’s lost a lot of teeth over the years due to dental decay and gum disease,” Francis said. 

The man behind these scans is Johnny Paul from Chickasha -- who people know as JP. “I’ve had bad teeth since I was three years old,” JP said. 

JP is getting some implants to replace the teeth he has left. Francis said the implants will allow JP to eat the foods he wants. “The best option we have in dentistry right now,” Francis said. 

They’re permanent, so he won’t need dentures. “Really a blessing is what it is,” JP said. 

However, Brett is not JP’s dentist. They never met until Monday. “I just felt it in my heart,” Francis said. “I wanted to do it.”  

At last week’s OU football game, cameras from the broadcast caught JP in this jacket rooting for his team. Francis was there too. OU pride is one thing both of them have in common. Francis’s office holds frames of Baker Mayfield's jersey and OU memorabilia. Francis noticed a viral photo on Barstool Sports. 

“JP was kinda getting ridiculed online for his teeth,” Francis said. 

The season of giving is the Oklahoma standard, and Francis will bring JP’s smile back for free. It’s a procedure that would normally cost $50,000-$60,000. "I just like to help people when I can,” Francis said. “I have a skill set that can benefit a lot of people. Why not him?”  

A gesture that means everything to JP. “Yeah, it does. It really does,” JP said. “Brett and his staff mean a lot to me now.” 

JP’s personality brings out a smile in Francis and he said he’s returning the favor. “You give somebody the ability to smile it really affects their self-confidence,” Francis said. 

JP can’t wait for this trip to the dentist because it’s guaranteed to put a smile on his face. “I’m just gonna have a bigger smile for OU,” JP said. “Don’t judge people by their appearance. Everybody’s got a heart.”