A nationwide network of dental offices is putting smiles on the faces of thousands of veterans who don’t have dental insurance.
Allen Williams is one of the vets welcomed at 400 Aspen Dental clinics recently. He served four years in the Marine Corps, worked hard all his life, and is now a caregiver for his mother and a friend with Parkinson’s.
He says a Marine is supposed to be able to smile and face himself in the mirror, but his missing teeth caused him too much embarrassment.
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Their “Healthy Mouth Movement” is also back on the road again this summer, sending its MouthMobile — a 42-foot dentist office on wheels (pictured below) — on a 33 city tour to provide dental care for vets. The van comes complete with a lab for making dentures, it’s own X-ray equipment, and two fully functioning exam and treatment rooms.
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Since starting in 2014, the Healthy Mouth Movement has provided nearly $6.3 million in free dental care to more than 11,000 veterans. Fewer than half of veterans receive federal VA dental benefits because they are not 100% disabled or have dental conditions related to their time in the service.
After his visit, Allen Williams was able to look into a mirror and see his smile restored.
“This thing,” he said, “It’s a Godsend.”
(WATCH Allen’s moving video below)
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