Free dental care for veterans set for June 27

Aspen Dental will host its Day of Service for Veterans on June 27 at its 12 affiliated branches in Middle Tennessee.

Operation Stand Down TN, a nonprofit offering various services for veterans and their families, collaborated with Aspen Dental to refer the patients with the most need.

“Last year we saw that there was a huge need, so we decided to do it again this year,” said Julie Aram, the Madison location operations manager.

To receive dental care through the Department of Veterans Affairs, veterans must meet a number of requirements. Because of this, there is a great need for dental care in the veteran community.

“It’s probably the biggest unmet need that we have,” Operation Stand Down TN Deputy Executive Director Mary Ross said.

Last year nearly 150 million people did not see a dentist, Aram said. Because of this, Aspen Dental decided to launch the Healthy Mouth Movement, a nationwide day of service in over 300 Aspen Dental locations.

“Our priority on those days is to get patients out of pain,” Aram said. “We focus on treating the most urgent dental needs, and we try to provide information to the patients as well.”

The Madison location hopes to see 40 to 50 patients at this month’s event. Operation Stand Down TN refers all the veterans in their program who demonstrate a need for dental care. “Sometimes your dental work can actually prevent you from getting employment. So we are working with those in particular,” Ross said.

Operation Stand Down TN works with many veterans who are homeless, low income or unemployed. The nonprofit hopes opportunities such as the Day of Service for Veterans can help local veterans improve their quality of life. Ross said the responsibility of arriving on time to the appointment and taking advantage of the opportunity rests on the veterans’ shoulders.

“I think there are some misconceptions that all the needs of the veterans are being taken care of by the Department of Veterans Affairs,” Ross said.

This is why she said she believes opportunities like Aspen Dental’s Day of Service for Veterans are so essential.

“Dental care is just as important to have a healthy body as any other part,” Aram said. “We want to treat their pain, but we also want to educate them on why it’s important to see a dentist.”

Reach Reade Pickert at 615-259-8836 and on Twitter @Readep.