Everything for Veterans Matches Dentists with Local Veterans in Need of Comprehensive Care

I have been involved with Everyone for Veterans (E4V) for at least 7 or 8 years, in the early years as a volunteer dentist seeing patients through the organization. I liked the mission of the organization so well that eventually I joined the board of directors and now help run this fabulous group, as well as work with it. I think it’s an amazing organization. It’s right up my alley as a dentist and a veteran. I feel it’s super important to give back. And it’s very fulfilling and rewarding because the veterans I’ve helped are so appreciative. It really makes a big difference in their lives. We’re able to follow through on all their dental care as opposed to a one-day event where I see a bunch of patients and can do only one or two things for each. That helps them, but not as much in the long run as being able to provide complete dental care start to finish.

Jessica Elwell: I had no dental experience whatsoever coming into the organization. I was born on a U.S. Army base and raised by veterans, so that’s where my heart is. The nonprofit world has always been my home, and when this opportunity arose to join E4V, it just made sense in a lot of ways, even though I was learning all about the dentistry pieces on the ground. That was kind of overwhelming for someone who had no background in it. Now I know a lot about it! It’s been really enlightening to see the life change that results from it and how much people take for granted when they have access to care.

DSOPro: Tell us how this group started and how long it’s been active. 

Jessica: We opened in 2017 as a formal 501(c)(3) charity, but the organization actually started long before that. In around 2008, our founder, Dr. Teresa Cheng, who was a periodontist in Issaquah, Washington, read in the local paper about a veteran named Rory who was terribly injured overseas. She was so moved by the work his mom was doing to be his caregiver and his advocate when he came back that she contacted the mom and said, “Can I offer you dental care in my office to show appreciation for all that you’re doing?” She met Rory and that’s when she learned that veterans aren’t receiving dental care through the VA. It was a big eye opener for her to learn about the struggles that veterans experience when they come home. We hear all the time that the homecoming is harder than combat for many veterans, and that reintegrating into the civilian population is a struggle. It touched her heart that she could offer something so easy for her to do. Although Rory is no longer with us, his legacy lives on in the smiles of the many veterans who have been helped since his first appointment. 

The catalyst behind it was the “building a relationship” piece. It’s not one-time care. You’re seeing them several times, you’re getting to know them, learning about their kids and their experiences. And it helps them not feel like they’re taking a handout. There’s a lot of pride around that. They’re feeling like they matter and that you see them and you appreciate them. That makes such a difference in their life and their ability to then have that smile, be out of pain, be able to chew, and to just have access to that opportunity that had been closed to them. 

DSOPro: Jacy, how strange was it to be involved in dentistry while in the Navy and come back to find that veterans don’t have that benefit at home? 

It was definitely an eyeopener for me. When I processed out of the military we had to go through a standard dental examination. I asked at the time, “Why do we do this?” And they said, “If you have outstanding dental work that needs to be done, you have a window of time that you can get it taken care of at the VA.” I said, “Oh, that’s cool.” I didn’t need any care, so I wasn’t particularly concerned about it. But that kind of also got me thinking, “Wait, they have a window of time to get just those procedures done?” That was my first realization that people didn’t really get a lot of care at the VA. 

I’ve had all kinds of veterans come through my office, and most of them have dental coverage or can afford their dental care. But I learned from some of them that they had tried to get dental work done at the VA and it wasn’t available to them. I’ve also learned that even if it is available, it’s usually just very minimal care, the bare essentials. They don’t get anything above and beyond. Maybe just a cleaning or pulling some teeth if they are in pain. 

When I was approached by someone from this organization who asked, “Hey, would you be willing to take care of a veteran in your office?” I said, “Heck yeah!” I’ve had several veterans come through now. We usually do one case at a time and take them from start to finish. We have one right now who is just a joy. He’s a Vietnam veteran. My team loves it when he’s on the schedule because he is so funny and appreciative to be getting this dental work done. He shows up for his appointments, and he does everything we tell him to. He is 100% on board because he doesn’t take for granted the fact that we’re doing this for him. It’s a fairly complex case and it’s turned out really well. He’s a great guy and he gives back to veterans himself. He’s involved with a bunch of organizations where he helps other veterans. I kind of see it as a domino effect. You take care of one person, and they take care of somebody else, and so on. It’s really exciting to see.

There’s a lot of need out there. Many people need dentistry but can’t afford it, and it’s hard to pick and choose who you can help and who you can’t. Working with an organization like this is great because they screen people, they make sure they’re eligible, that they have need, that they are actually veterans. They do all that for us, and then they tell us about a patient in our area and ask if we can see them. Sometimes it’s very minimal, they don’t need much work, and sometimes they’re big cases. But every time it feels super rewarding. You can help as many as you want. If a dentist wants to see only one patient and be done with it, that’s great. If you have the capability to do more, you can. That’s what’s nice about this, you can work on your terms, with what you’re willing to give or what you can work into your schedule.

DSOPro: Is this dental care free?

Jacy: Care is provided pro bono. We don’t charge anybody for any of it. But I realized that if I needed supplies or equipment to do that, and if there would be be lab fees, that if I reached out to my dental lab, dental supply company, or my implant rep and said, “Hey, I’m doing a free case for a veteran,” they’d usually donate everything I need for the case.

Usually, all we give up is our time and some basic overhead. It doesn’t cost us a lot to do this. I’ve worked with a couple of my specialist groups who aren’t “officially” signed up with E4V, asking them to provide treatments I don’t do. I’ve said, “I’ve got a case I’m doing as a volunteer. Can you take care of the root canal for me?” I’ve been able to get that kind of treatment done because everybody is willing to give, sometimes they just need to be asked. And when somebody asks, they’re like, “Heck yeah, I’ll help.”

Jessica: We see spouses as well as qualified veterans. Typically, a veteran or spouse will receive an average of $3,400 in donated care. But last year someone received over $55,000 in care. It really can be everything across the map, but most often they are relatively straightforward missions that the dentists are doing.

Jacy: The other thing I can say from a volunteer standpoint is that in most states, these hours can go toward annual continuing education (CE) requirements. Typically, states will give you CE credit for doing volunteer work up to a certain amount; the limit may be three or five credits a year. There also may be provisions for taking the dental work you’ve donated off your taxes as an “in-kind” donation. Volunteers should check with their attorneys and accountants on those things as well.

DSOPro: Does this include dental hygiene services and follow-up care?

Jacy: We do the whole thing. When we see a patient, it’s start to finish. We’ll do any necessary hygiene, periodontal care, or extractions, and provide fixed or removable restorations. We usually try to do a full, complete case.

DSOPro: Jessica, tell us about the partners working with you. Do you have universities as well as sponsor-type partners?

We currently partner with six dental schools around the country and would love to work with more. It’s a fun program to be part of because it’s helping a generation of future dentists meet veterans, learn about trauma-informed care and work with people who have various conditions like traumatic brain injuries. They’re learning how to work with people in a very compassion-forward way. We love that opportunity. And it works out really well for the schools, too, because it’s a new way to build funding support for their programs. If you have a standalone veterans’ program, people often want to support that. We love our dental school partners.

I would also give a shout-out to Netstar Inc., our Legacy Sponsor this year. They’re an incredible supporter of our work and mission. We have been very fortunate to have the partners we do. As I’m sure you’re aware, this is a challenging year for many with different federal cuts and changes to VA support. It truly is unprecedented what our veterans are experiencing with the loss of services, changes to disability ratings, and what they’re experiencing. So now, more than ever, is a really good time for people to get involved to support organizations like Everyone for Veterans doing this transformative work. So, we are incredibly grateful for our sponsors, supporters, partners, and champions who are standing up to say, “I will help. I’m going to give back.”

We say all the time, “It’s our honor to serve those who have served,” and we truly mean it. It’s such a gift for us to get to do this for others. And I think that if more people knew that it was something they could be a part of, they would get to experience that as well.

DSOPro: Where does your funding come from? Are you facing funding cuts?

Jessica: We have a fairly diverse revenue stream of support, including grant funding, events, individual donors, and corporate partners. I think this year is particularly challenging because there is a lot of uncertainty and unknown. We’re keeping an eye on our grant funding because there have been a lot of funding shifts for priorities, and dental care often does not get a lot of the spotlight and recognition because it’s very siloed. People don’t see the connection between oral health and overall health. So, while there are healthcare funding opportunities, dental care often gets overlooked. That is a bit of a challenge for us this year.

We have a couple of events coming up that we’re really excited about bringing to the community so that they can rally around a veterans’ cause as well. But we’re definitely cautious in how we’re looking at this year to ensure that we’re being wise stewards of the funds we have so we can have the most impact where it’s needed. The need is only getting more critical for those we are serving.

The American Dental Association’s Give Veterans a Smile Program was formally rolled out at SmileCon in October last year, and it functions similar to their Give Kids a Smile program where they’re asking dentists to give back once a year. It will typically fall in November because people are thinking more about veteran issues and causes around Veterans Day. But DSO offices, individual practices, and schools can have a Give Vets a Smile event at any time. We are proud to partner with the ADA and would love to help DSO offices connect with veterans in need in their communities.

We see so much transformation when someone can reach a fully healthy dental state. Last year, we had an event with Pacific Dental at their DSO offices in New Mexico, and I think over $75,000 was given to the veterans in need in that one-day event. It’s an exciting thing to be a part of, and we’re thrilled to partner with and support these events because it is still very new.

DSOPro: Are you partnering with other DSOs yet?

Jessica: We would love that opportunity, especially with those who have a heart for that comprehensive care. They can reach out to me directly, or to our dental program director, to answer any questions that their professionals have about the program. I think many DSOs have some kind of philanthropy arm, some way they give back. And we don’t see this as competition in any way with the other incredible organizations out there. But if someone is looking to get involved specifically with helping veterans and their spouses, we want them to know that we’re here and happy to help coordinate events that can be transformative in their local community.

Jacy: From a solo practitioner perspective, I think DSOs are particularly well set up to handle this type of thing, having a network of in-house specialists able to take care of all their needs without needing to outsource treatments, and having the product resources and multiple locations. They also have more schedule flexibility. If more DSOs became involved it would be a great thing because they have the capacity to provide care in a way that a solo practitioner doesn’t always have. It would be fabulous if we got more on board, especially with their marketing and advertising capabilities, and their positioning in multiple communities. They could be really beneficial to helping the mission of this organization.

DSOPro: Tell us more about your organization and structure.

Jessica: We have a governing board. We can have up to 13 and currently have 11 active board members across the country. I’m the executive director, located in southern Oregon. We have two program directors who are in Washington State, and two community and outreach support folks in Texas. We also have an incredible contractor who does our Salesforce for us. That is a beast unto itself.

This is a nationwide organization with volunteer dentists throughout the country. We have served veterans in 40 states. Last year we served around 450 individuals and coordinated more than $500,000 in complete dental care. Our numbers are a little lower because this is comprehensive care, not a one-day event. Some patients will typically see a dentist over the course of a month and up to a year, depending on their dental needs. Our program functions as the liaison between dentists and veterans.

DSOPro: How do veterans in need find you?

Jessica: They come to us in several ways. Often, it’s by referral. Veterans are very closely connected, so if their battle buddy has gone through the program, they will tell another veteran, who will then sign up. When we receive an application, we do an interview to ensure the veteran qualifies for the program. Once they’re qualified, they go on our waiting list, and we start looking for a volunteer in their area. If we have one, they’ll get assigned right away. If we don’t, that’s when we begin outreach to the dental community to find either an individual practice, a DSO, or a school, anyone who can take on that care.

The other way is when dentists come to us. We’ve had tables at SmileCon, or they may see us through another dentist in our network who shares something on their social media. When a dentist comes to us and wants to help, we look for any veterans in need in their community. If we don’t find any, we reach out to veteran service organizations and vet centers to see if they know of a veteran who would like to receive care. However someone comes to us, we play a matchmaker role and find them a connection.

We’ve also had a great response from the Tau Sigma Military Dental Club at colleges. Those are veteran-connected dental students. We’ve worked with Tau Sigma at the University of Iowa and Roseman Dental College. It’s great to see the students engaged.

DSOPro: Is there anything you would like to add?

Jessica: I think the veteran experience is something that people often overlook. You might have veterans in your life, but you may not know just how serious their struggles are. One I like to highlight is a veteran who recently came to us. She was experiencing homelessness and had been living in her car. She’d had so much dental pain, chronically for years, that she was considering taking her own life.

People often don’t think about how serious dental pain can be. When we think about chronic illness, we’re not thinking about chronic dental pain. This veteran came to our program as a last-ditch effort, thinking, “I have nothing else to go on for.” We were able to connect her with the dentist who relieved her of all that pain, cleared up the infection, and gave her back a beautiful smile. She wrote to us and said, “Thank you so much for not giving up on me when I wanted to give up on myself.” She had a personal connection with our staff, and with the dental professional who provided that compassionate care, and now she’s thriving. She said, “I can’t believe how happy I am to be with my grandkids. They’ve never seen me smile.”

There are things that we take for granted or overlook, which I want to share with people. There’s no greater accomplishment than knowing that lives are being changed. When we hear stories like that, that’s winning every award you can imagine, because someone is saying, “Because of you, because you cared and took the time, I can smile, I can chew, and I’m going to keep on going.” It really is a gift to be part of this.

Jacy: I love what I do. I love taking care of people. I love giving back, and this is just an extra way that I can do that in a way that feels good and helps the community that I feel such a connection to.

More from the Newsletter