Bringing Smiles to Those Who Served

Veterans from all branches of the U.S. military came to the Harvard Dental Center on Saturday, October 22 for a day of free dental care provided by Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) students and faculty. The second annual Give Veterans a Smile event, organized by HSDM students, was a chance to give back to those who served their country by providing them with dental exams, oral cancer screenings, and specialty consultations at no cost.

“The goal of the event is to not just provide one day of care, we want to be able to guide them to a dental home,” said Adam Yang, DMD25. Yang helped plan the event with a team of student organizers who mobilized nearly 60 volunteers for the day.

U.S. Navy veteran Michael Hancock arrived early for his appointment. He was eager to see a dentist after lapses in his dental care. Hancock served six years in Vietnam on three tours of duty which left him with a traumatic brain injury. He came into Boston that morning from Bedford, MA, 25 miles away, because his dental care is not covered at the Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare facility there. “They give us all kinds of medical care, but not dental,” he said.

“Many veterans have trouble accessing care or don’t qualify for care from the VA,” said Jen Candiano, DMD25. She explained that there are several conditions needed to qualify for VA dental care including having a service-connected dental disability or condition, among others.

“Many of those we’re seeing today do not have dental records or a regular dentist,” she added.

Candiano was surveying veterans for a research project that explores the hurdles veterans face in accessing care. For Candiano, the topic is close to home, as she plans to serve in the Navy after she finishes her four-year DMD program as part of the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP). The scholarship covers her tuition, and she will repay it with four years of service as a dentist in the Navy. Her classmate Jake Cantrell, DMD25, another HPSP scholarship recipient involved in the research project, will do the same. They hope their findings will help bring attention to the gaps in dental care that veterans face when transitioning from military service to civilian life.

For Luis Rivera, a U.S. Army veteran, the need to see a dentist was critical. “I have major problems,” he said. Intense pain and swelling around his upper teeth brought him all the way from Brockton, MA for treatment. “I don’t have dental insurance, so I’ve come in for a consult.”  He hopes to resolve his immediate dental concerns and learn about longer term options for dental care during his appointment.

The nonprofit organization Health Care for All was on hand to guide veterans like Rivera through the process of accessing benefits and finding longer term oral health care options.

Dr. Steffany Chamut, instructor in Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology, teamed up with Dr. Samantha Jordan, Oral Health Program Director for the organization, and part-time faculty member in Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology to contribute to the effort. “Prevention is key, so we emphasize that, especially when the benefits are limited,” Chamut said.

Chamut and the student organizers wanted veterans to walk away with not only free treatment and a goodie bag of dental care products, but longer-term care options and community support for their oral health needs.

“Public health is all about community and collaboration,” she said.