tinued academic demands, and internal and external rotation schedules, all while learning to coordinate multiple patients and their needs and demands along with sequencing of treatment, labs etc. And, students need to learn the impact of resource man- agement … read who will be paying for the treatment options and what timeline suits the patient, student and faculty member. It was an early goal to fi nd fi nancial resources to off set the costs for veterans’ treatment. Free treatment is not free; someone has got to be off setting the costs of providing such care.
Your volunteer experience is extensive. How did your personal military experience cement your desire to focus on veterans from all lines of service? What role has the Smiles of Hope Clinic in Dexter played in bringing your vision to serve veterans to life?
There are more than 400,000 veterans in Missouri. VA provides dental care for only about 10 percent (only veterans with 100 percent disability, service-connected disability or POWs qualify for dental treatment by the VA). Dental students need multiple procedures to graduate; veterans need treatment … let’s put the two together and get someone else to pay. Way back when, I learned from my dad to “take care of the troops”—later reinforced by my time in USMC. MOSDOH’s dentistry in the community programs led me to Dexter back in 2016. After connecting with the Dexter administrator (a Marine) it started with a few simple questions: Do you have any vets around here needing treatment? Wouldn’t it be cool if we came down with veteran faculty oversee- ing veteran students treating veterans? We identifi ed the fi rst fi ve vets local to Dexter in need of treatment. After extractions we fol- lowed up with communication to President of ATSU; “What great treatment our students are delivering! What a testimony to our mission to treat the underserved! Now what? We’ve made dental cripples who now need dentures.”
President Phelps responded with a University grant of $10,000 to get us started (basically interpreted as “put up or shut up”) so … we coordinated with Affi na (our FQHC partner) negotiated reduced lab fees, obtained free impression materials and teeth, and the MOSDOH Veterans Program was initiated on Saturday mornings with volunteer faculty and eager students and patients. We followed with free screening in St. Louis to identify more vet- erans, and it has grown from there. To date we’ve completed more than 750 patients delivering more than 1,500 full and partial den- tures. Serving the community during our Dexter “mission” is an ongoing exercise with participation from students in all classes, MOSDOH graduates, volunteer faculty as well as recruited local dentists.
All veteran treatment delivered in Dexter is at no cost. Free veteran screenings at the St. Louis Dental Center occur annually and are coordinated with the arrival of incoming new third year dental students. In addition to a monthly half day clinic conduct- ed by Dexter locals, multiple two-day clinics are scheduled staff ed by MOSDOH third- and fourth-year students, former graduates and volunteer faculty (assisted by fi rst and second year students traveling from Kirksville), in addition to local doctors and staff .
Students, in many instances, coordinate the treatment for their veteran patients who travel from the St. Louis area to Dexter.
Your son, Dr. Jon Silva, now runs Chesterfi eld Family Dental (which you founded) where you now are a part-time employee. What’s it like working for your son and what new challenges does he face as a practice owner that are diff erent from the challenges you faced establishing a practice?
The new and improved Dr. Silva (Jonathan) is a credit to his com- munity and our profession. Dr. Jon is a digital whiz who takes great eff ort in delivering the best for his patients while taking extremely good care of his staff . I’ve just recently been contacted about our upcoming 50th anniversary since graduating from dental school. Dentistry certainly has changed with such huge improvements in technology and technique, but emphasis on patient priority is, in my humble opinion, still the key for success and satisfaction. I’m extremely proud that in that respect, that nut (Dr. Jon) did not fall too from the tree.
How have your roles as veteran, referee, private practice dentist, volunteer, parent and instructor shaped your view of dentistry? What is one favorite piece of advice you give to students you teach?
Dentistry has been so good for me personally and professionally. I stress that students need to have a full perspective: professionally competent while recognizing the importance of family, staff and community commitment … and ensure that they make a commit- ment to “pay it forward” with a smile.
outstanding new dental leader Dr. Kirt i Tata
This award recognizes an MDA member in practice 10 years or fewer who has demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities, professional and ethical conduct, and volunteer activities in their community and organized dentistry.
D
r. Tata received her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 2017 From the University of Missouri-Kansas City School
of Dentistry. In 2018, she completed a General Practice Residency at the Department of Veterans Aff airs Health Center in Okla- homa City and earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in Chemistry and Psychology from UMKC.
Since graduating from dental school in 2017, Dr. Tata has demon- strated strong commitment, dedication and passion for organized dentistry while successfully balancing leadership roles within the ADA, MDA and Greater St. Louis Dental Society.
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