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3 Ways Dentists Can Support Our Veterans

3 Ways Dentists Can Support Our Veterans
by Scott Murray

On Veterans Day weekend, people all over the nation take extra time to recognize and thank those who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.

While it's great to take part in these events, it's equally important to recognize there are things dentists can do all year to support veterans. Some ways might seem obvious; others may surprise you.

Helping veterans through charity

You've undoubtedly heard the stories about the medical conditions and ailments that veterans deal with, especially after returning from battle. This includes suffering from several dental conditions and not having the funds to get treatment.

Organizations like Dentists For Veterans provide opportunities to get the care they need. Started as a local charity in Southern California in 2011, they've provided over $500,000 in dental services to needy veterans.

They offer low-to-no-cost options to treat a variety of conditions that are in desperate need of treatment. You can volunteer or donate to this group.

Helping veterans through action

Another way you can help is finding ways to offer free dental services to veterans. Acquiring full dental benefits through the VA is not an option for many of them because being fully disabled is a prerequisite. If a veteran has limited/no income or is homeless, that really narrows the prospects of getting the care they deserve.

Even though Aspen Dental has more than 500 locations all over the country, they produced a 42-foot mobile services trailer that allows them to bring their services to needy veterans. Eventually, they were able to take their mission to a whole new level by partnering with the dentists associated with Got Your 6. They're a nonprofit that also supports veterans, and by partnering with Aspen, they were able to help 4,000 vets with over $2.8 million in dental services.

Read full article on MultiBriefs.