What started as a concept aimed at disease prevention and patient retention has turned into an annual event to aid veterans in need. Now in its third year, Harvard School of Dental Medicine’s (HSDM) Give Veterans a Smile (GVAS), which takes place in October, provides veterans with a day of free dental care and consultations, with a long-term goal of creating a dental home for those who have served.
Veterans are provided with healthcare while serving in the military, but it can be a challenge to receive dental care once they leave the service. Nearly half of all veterans experience gingival problems or bone loss, whereas 27 percent of non-veterans had these issues from the 2021 report, “Veteran Oral Health Expanding Access and Equity.” Very few veterans qualify for full dental care unless they have a service-connected disability or were a former prisoner of war.
“The decision to create the Give Veterans a Smile program at HSDM was driven by a combination of a commitment to community service, a desire to address unmet needs, and the potential for educational and clinical benefits for dental students and faculty,” said Anita Nasseri, DMD25.
Ziwei Chen, DMD23, and Kaitlyn Cardenas, DMD25, helped plan and organize HSDM’s first annual Give Veterans a Smile event in 2021, opening the door to veterans for free dental care, oral cancer screenings, and specialty consultations. Seeing the success of the inaugural event, Nasseri, Cardenas, Jen Candiano, DMD25, Jake Cantrell, DMD25, and Adam Yang, DMD25, continued expanding dental access for veterans during HSDM’s second annual Give Veterans a Smile event in 2022.
Over 30 HSDM predoctoral students volunteered for the event along with residents from AGE specialty programs, faculty, and Harvard Dental Center staff members. Colleagues from the Boston Veterans Affairs also volunteered for the event. The student planning team reached out to local veteran organizations to advertise to interested patients.
“This collaborative approach ensures that the program can tap into a wide network of resources, expertise, and support, enabling it to have a broader and more significant impact on the wellbeing of veterans,” Nasseri said.
Since its launch three years ago, the program has expanded its reach to serve a larger number of veterans, collaborate with additional organizations, and recruit more student volunteers. In addition to dental care, the nonprofit organization Health Care of All was on hand last year to guide veterans through the process of accessing benefits and finding longer term oral healthcare options.
“We wanted to ensure that HSDM’s Give Veterans a Smile did not simply become a one-day event. Rather, we sought to establish continuity of care and help veterans find a consistent dental home, whether it is with HSDM or another local provider,” said Cantrell.
Cantrell is a recipient of a Health Professions Scholarship and will serve as a dentist in the U.S. Navy after graduation. Five students in HSDM’s Class of 2025 will join the military after graduation to practice dentistry while serving their country.
“My service commitment is what guided me to HSDM, where I knew I would find an educational environment that goes beyond traditional dentistry. I’m very thankful to attend a school that encourages student-led initiatives like Give Veterans a Smile,” he said.
Awarded for Their Service
Cardenas, Candiano, Cantrell, Nasseri, and Yang were recently honored with the 2023 Dean’s Community Service Award from the Harvard Medical School for their work in expanding dental care to the veteran community and addressing gaps in access to oral healthcare during HSDM’s GVAS event.
“They all have incredible creative energies and a refreshing idealism tempered not only enough to accomplish what needs to be done, but also bring serious attention to the social, structural, and equity gaps and disparities of the veteran population,” said their faculty advisor Steffany Chamut, an instructor in Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology at the School.
As the program continues to grow and evolve, the team is focused on ensuring its expansion and long-term sustainability.
“Our ultimate objective is for GVAS to serve as an exemplary student-led platform, advocating for improved access to dental care for veterans across the nation,” Nasseri said. “As we meticulously plan our next event, we are actively working on implementing additional channels to receive valuable feedback from both veterans and volunteers. Moreover, we are diligently assessing outcomes and identifying areas for continuous enhancement of the program.”
