‘This is about much more than teeth’: Man surprised with $10,000 in free dental work

Indiana man surprised with free dental work in Pontiac

Jeremiah Johnson has experienced a tumultuous life that has taken him through tragedy, rehab, and prison before getting back on his feet. An avid fisherman, he thought he was visiting Michigan to just go angling. Instead, he was surprised with $10,000 in free dental work.

(FOX 2) – Jeremiah Johnson thought he was coming to Michigan to fish.

After all, the Indiana native is quite the angler. And fortunately for him, he did net a new catch in Crescent Lake. However, his visit to Southeast Michigan was about much more than casting a line.

Afterward, a heartwarming surprise awaited him in the form of $10,000 in free dental work.

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Johnson wore a blindfold as he was walked up to Royal Chiropractic and Dental Center in Pontiac on June 11. Organized by Bassquatch Hunter host Mike McKinstry, he guided Johnson to the surprise — as well as the latest stage of redemption.

Johnson lost his brother at a young age, catalyzing a fall into addiction and eventually incarceration. 

“I lost my twin brother when I was really young, went down some dark roads, became an addict then ended up in and out of jail, in and out of rehabs,” he said. “Finally, ended up going to prison, did a few years in prison and came home and met a woman, changed everything, made a family.”

But even as he worked to recover and build a new life, he did so with significant dental issues and missing teeth.

Over the next two weeks, he’ll receive a full slate of dentistry.

“This was supposed to be a fishing trip, which we did get to fish, but then a huge surprise at the end,” he said. “To be able to smile and talk to people without having to worry about how they perceive me.”

Mike McKinstry and Jeremiah Johnson outside Royal Chiropractic and Dental Center in Pontiac.