Woodbury Dental Arts patients are finding some relief after their dental office abruptly closed in March, leaving patients with infections, unfinished treatment and financial strain.

Dr. Todd Christianson, of Shakopee-based RiverRock Dental, heard about what happened and got in touch with patients to offer some help.

His new patients explained the dental care allowed them to get their life back.

“Dr. Christiansen has been outstanding in helping us. He didn’t have to step up to help us, but he did and we are really grateful for him,” Ravae Grant, former Woodbury Dental Arts patient, said.

Grant was on the brink of losing hope when she put her faith in Woodbury Dental Arts. She went to the dental practice with four teeth left on the top left portion of her mouth.

“It was just pure need and just almost desperation,” Grant said. “When you don’t have teeth, life gets very difficult.”

That desperation turned into defeat.

After paying $35,000, she was steps away from getting her final dental implants when she found out the office abruptly closed.

It left hundreds of patients with no answers and unfinished dental work.

Back in March, public records led us to the owner Dr. Marko Kamel who told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS he shut down the practice because he was “broke.”

He filed for bankruptcy shortly after the closure.

“I had plastic teeth. There was nowhere for me to go there was no affordable option at that point,” Grant said.

But another option found her.

“If we stood on the sidelines and did nothing it’d be a wasted opportunity to help change a lot of people’s lives,” Dr. Christianson said.

About 50 of Kamal’s patients, including Grant, found their way into Dr. Christianson’s chair.

He’s been fixing broken implants and, in some cases, starting from scratch. He’s doing the work at-cost and donating his time.

“For the amount of money these patients shelled out and some of them didn’t get any work done and some of them got some work done, it’s been very interesting and unprecedented in my 16 years of dentistry,” Dr. Christianson said.

He explained dental implants are a specialty, which makes it harder for patients to get help.

“We can’t just sit around and wait for things to happen. We’ve got to help out,” he said. “If you have the means to help somebody, I think it’s the right thing to do.”

“I felt hope and it was overwhelming, really overwhelming,” Grant said. “I won’t have to think about it day in day out about what’s going to happen. I’ll have my teeth. That’s all we want.”

Dr. Christianson explained they’ve stopped taking patients two weeks ago just to get caught up, but once those patients are finished, he’ll move on to others who need help.

The Attorney General’s office and Woodbury Police Department confirmed they are investigating Dr. Kamal, but can’t share any details because it’s an ongoing investigation.

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