ATSU-MOSDOH Dentures for Veterans Project Gives Veterans a Reason to Smile School, community partners provide life changing oral healthcare services to veterans
P
eter, a U.S. Air Force veteran, is one of seven military veterans who traveled to St. Louis, from Dexter, Mo., to receive
new dentures at the St. Louis Dental Center, an innovative partnership between A.T. Still University’s Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-MOSDOH) and Affinia Healthcare.
“This is life changing!” he says.
This is all part of ATSU-MOSDOH’s Dentures for Veterans project, which began in 2017, and to date has completed treatment for 110 veterans in total. Under the coordination of Herbert Silva, DMD, comprehensive care unit director, and Marine Corps veteran, a team of volunteer dentists are working with third- and fourth-year ATSU-MOSDOH students to provide full and partial dentures at no cost to uninsured veterans.
It can be a long and difficult journey, but most veterans who have received dentures from the project say it is well worth it. “It’s a big game changer,” says Bob. “Several years ago I got estimates for dentures and just couldn’t afford it. So, I suffered through pain and bro- ken teeth. I stopped going out and socializing because I was embarrassed.”
James explains his teeth began falling out 20 years ago, following an electrocution ac- cident. An Air Force veteran, he sang in the church choir and was embarrassed when this happened while singing. For 10 years, he had no teeth and simply got used to never smiling. He was among the first group of veterans to receive dentures in 2017. Now, he drives the van that transports veterans from the Dexter Lighthouse Church, where ATSU-MOSDOH regularly holds an oral healthcare clinic, to the St. Louis Dental Center for denture delivery.
Dr. Silva and others on the ATSU-MOSDOH team, several of whom are military veterans themselves, are passionately committed to
36 focus | JUL/AUG 2019 | ISSUE 4
giving back. Currently, too many military vet- erans remain underserved. ATSU-MOSDOH is dedicated to this project and continuing to provide oral healthcare and no-cost dentures to military veterans.
One by one, the veterans gather in the St. Louis Dental Center lobby along with volun- teer dentists and ATSU-MOSDOH students for a group photo to commemorate the day. Notably, everyone is smiling and it’s an emo- tional moment shared by all.
ATSU-MOSDOH, in addition to its partner- ship with Affinia Healthcare, recognizes with gratitude others who support this program: Smiles of Hope Dental Clinic, Dental Arts Laboratories, Kulzer Medical Supply, and ATSU’s Missouri Smile Forward, all of which are dedicated to addressing the disparities in oral health care in St. Louis and around Missouri. f
Additional partners and donations will be critical to the ongoing success of this veterans program. For further information about how you can help, please contact ATSU University Advancement at 660-626-2395.
2019 IS HALF OVER! Time to check equipment safety
A
vailable for download at the ADA Center for Professional Success is
a Dental Equipment Safety Checklist to help you and your staff review areas in the office that may need mainte- nance. The checklist also is important for patient and team member safety. Instead of going through breakdowns in practice that cost dollars and time—and may pose safety risks—the checklist gives teams the opportunity to inspect and take action on needed items that may not be routinely checked during maintenance. The list is provided as a reminder of the types of safety checks that should be undertaken semiannu- ally in a typical dental practice office. Because every office is different, the list should not be relied upon as an all- inclusive itinerary of safety checks for your office. See the list on the next page or download at:
success.ada.org/en/ practice-management/office-design/ tips-to-maintain-safe-equipment
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