OAK CREEK (CBS 58) — On Saturday, November 6, Aspen Dental hosted its annual national “Day of Service” event to give back to veterans and their spouses by providing free dental care.
Aspen Dental said its decision to help military veterans is because many veterans have reportedly withheld their oral health because veterans are not eligible for dental benefits through the Veterans Administration at unless they were 100% disabled, had a service-related mouth injury, or were a prisoner of war.
Aspen Dental hosts the Veterans Day ‘Day of Service’ event annually.
“These are essential services and you know without these services they can have an active disease process in their mouth and they can have it for a long time which can cause other problems,” said Dr Zubair Hassan , dentist at Aspen Dental in Oak. Stream.
“They’re going to check my teeth and then on my lower left molar it’s cracked so they’re going to have to do a crown on that,” said
Ken Tutaj, a veteran who is also the mayor of St. Francis.
Tutaj served for 25 years in the Air Force and National Guard.
He added that dental care is not always a priority due to the high price of the procedures, especially if you are uninsured.
“A lot of veterans don’t have health insurance or dental insurance so they don’t do anything with their teeth and their mouths and it gets really, really bad. It’s preventative maintenance, it’s awesome, ”Tutaj said.
“We know that your veterans are fighting very hard for our country and for our freedom, so we want to provide this care to them for free,” said Samantha Rattle, office manager of Aspen Dental.
The Day of Service at Aspen Dental aims to provide much needed dental care to veterans and remove barriers to accessing this type of health care.
Organizers say the event also helps raise awareness of the importance of oral health.
Whether it was x-rays, cleanings, or immediate dental care, dentists attending the event told CBS 58 they were eager to help.
“It’s my favorite day. It’s really gratifying to be able to give back and to be able to say thank you to the veterans in our community in Oak Creek, ”said Hassan.
“I think it’s great for Aspen to step up and do this for the veterans. It makes you feel great and makes you want to go to the dentist,” Tutaj said.
For veterans and their spouses who missed out on the free dental day, they can always contact their local VA to find dental help.
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