OFF-ISLAND

DENTAL
1 Sherington Drive, Bluffton, GA 29910, www.offislanddental.com

NEWS RELEASE
For media information:
Email: jan@adfishgroup.com
Jan Gourley, Cell: 843-812-5802

Local Dentist Gives Back to the Community After Health Scare with
Quarterly Free Community Dental Days

BLUFFTON, SC (June 17, 2014) The year 2014 did not start off very well for Dr. Michael Langehans. The
local Dentist thought he was beginning the year with a simple case of the flu, however what transpired for the next
34 days changed Langehans life and dental practice forever.
On Saturday, December 28, 2013 Dr. Langehans went to urgent care. He was diagnosed with the
flu. The nurse practitioner gave him a prescription for Tamiflu with a comment about take this if you want to, but
I really don't know how long you've had this and it may or may not help. He decided not to take the
medicine. By Monday, December 30, he was feeling considerably worse. He had gone into work (he never
misses) but at lunch visited a Bluffton doctor to get a chest x-ray. She diagnosed him with bilateral
pneumonia. She sent him back to work with instructions to take it easy rest of the week.
By Thursday, January 2, Langehans was rushed to the ER at Beaufort Memorial Hospital. He spent the
night in the ER and then early the next morning he was air-lifted to Roper St. Francis Hospital in Charleston,
SC. He spent the next 22 days in the ICU at Roper. He was completely sedated, paralyzed and intubated for 18
days - and the outlook for a fast recovery was not looking good. The medical personnel explained he needed to
be kept that way so his body could rest and antibiotics could work. While in the ICU he developed C-Diff, a nasty
intestinal bug with severe cramping and also tested positive for H1N1. After 14 days it is standard procedure to
do a tracheotomy. Doctors and nurses woke him after 18 days & began weaning him from the ventilator. By day
22 he was moved to Vibra Acute Rehab Hospital in Mt. Pleasant. His tracheotomy was removed on day 25. He
was told he had a staph infection and would need more antibiotics. He was transported by EMS late Friday,
January 31st to Beaufort Memorial Acute Rehab Facility. He improved rapidly and was discharged on Tuesday,
February 4 after spending 34 days in the hospital.
During this time, Dr. Langehans wife, Beth had to find someone to run his practice. He did not have a
back-up doctor on-call after the recent departure of a dental employee of 7 years. According to Beth Langehans,
I had to scramble and find someone. Dr. Chuck Ingle had come highly recommended by several dentists in
Beaufort and he was willing to drive to Bluffton to help out - I had never met Dr. Ingle before but he was so nice
and willing to help out right away. I am a home-schooling mom of four children. Michael and I determined early
on that we would not ever work together. I had never been a part of his dental practice except to listen when he
comes home and try to offer advice or support. However, there were supplies to order, bills to pay, payroll, tax
information due to various entities, laws and regulations about dentists, hygienists, assistants, insurance to file, the
office to clean, etc. and the one person I would have asked all the "how to" questions was comatose.
Dr. Chuck Ingle has since become a permanent part of Off-Island Dental, assisting at the Bluffton practice
one day a week and on as needed basis. Ill never forget the day Beth called me, I truly felt so sorry for this poor
woman who desperately needed my help immediately. As fate would have it, little did I know how much I would
enjoy getting to know Dr. Michael Langehans and the unbelievably caring and supportive staff and patients at Off-
Island Dental.
Langehans says, I had no idea what was going on around me for over a month. I am unbelievably blessed
and grateful to my family, friends, patients, staff and Dr. Ingle for all of their amazing support during the entire time
I was sick and recovering. If I said the experience had not changed my entire outlook on life, I would be lying - it
has made me more thankful for everything. I have always been involved in our church community but this made me
realize that I needed to give back in an even bigger way. This life experience (dont like to call it a near death
experience) has made me want to better utilize my professional talents and my staffs talents in a more meaningful
way in my practice. Off-Island Dental has recently organized free, quarterly dental services for Bluffton Jasper
Volunteers In Medicine (VIM) to provide their patients in most need of dental services, free services and
procedures, from extractions to cleanings. The first Free Dental Day is scheduled on Friday, July 11, 2014 from
8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Off-Island Dental in Bluffton. In order for someone to qualify for the free dental services,
registered patients must have already been seen at Bluffton Jasper VIM as a patient.
According to Bluffton Jasper VIM Executive Director, Pam Toney, There is unbelievable need for
professional general dentistry care in our community. We are grateful to have these services offered through Off
Island Dental. Dr. Langehans says, So many uninsured people simply allow regular dental care to lapse until
emergent needs arise, as a result significantly more patients are being seen in hospital emergency rooms for
problems that could have been initially treated with simple dental office procedures.
Off-Island Dental plans to continue the free services with Bluffton Jasper Volunteers in Medicine on a
quarterly basis. Langehans says, Its one small thing I can do to give back to my community and celebrate how
truly lucky I am to be able to do so.
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