ADA Foundation to Launch the Give Veterans A Smile Program

CHICAGO, October 2, 2024 — The ADA Foundation (ADAF) will launch Give Veterans A Smile (GVAS), a new initiative to help address veterans’ unmet oral health needs, at SmileCon® 2024, October 17-19, the American Dental Association’s (ADA) annual meeting.

According to the Veterans Health Administration, 82% of veterans enrolled in the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system, or about 7.4 million people, are ineligible for dental benefits. To qualify for VA-sponsored dental services, veterans must either have a dental issue that is service-connected or otherwise qualify based on narrow criteria.

Give Veterans A Smile will offer step-by-step toolkits and resources to encourage dentists to provide pro bono oral health services to veterans in their dental practices and assist veterans in finding a facility that can become their dental home. In addition, GVAS will collect data and share the value of charitable oral health care provided nationally to help guide advocacy efforts aimed at increasing funding and access to care for veterans.

“Oral health equity for all is a priority for the ADA Foundation,” said Michele Tulak-Gorecki, D.D.S., Board Chair, ADAF. “Veterans are pillars of our communities who have made great sacrifices for our nation and Give Veterans A Smile aims to better support the millions of veterans in need of dental health services to improve their oral and overall health.”

SmileCon 2024 attendees are encouraged to participate in activities to recognize veterans. After a ribbon cutting ceremony to kick off the Give Veterans A Smile Pack & Give Back event on October 17, volunteers will roll up their sleeves to pack Health & Comfort Kits—including oral health products—for underserved veterans in the New Orleans area in partnership with the Disabled Veterans National Foundation. The kits will be distributed to local veterans in need at the New Orleans VA Medical Center on Friday, October 18 beginning at 9 a.m. The event is sponsored by the Alliance of the American Dental Association, Colgate®, the Dental Trade Alliance Foundation and Henry Schein Cares.

An awareness and fundraising celebration will take place on October 19 at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans with Colonel- and Major-level sponsors including Gary Oyster, D.D.S., the Fourth Trustee District of the ADA, the Pennsylvania Dental Association, the Texas Dental Association, the New York State Dental Association, Liberty Dental, Henry Schein, Inc. and Mark Vitale, D.M.D. Veteran-themed continuing education sessions will also be offered in collaboration with the American Institute of Dental Public Health and sponsored by Pacific Dental Services® Foundation. Attendees of the events will have the opportunity to hear from dignitaries like State Representative Drew Ferguson; Colonel Paul Colthirst, Commander, Dental Health Command – Pacific; and Staff Sergeant David Bellavia, medal of honor recipient.

Give Veterans A Smile is actively seeking volunteers, sponsors and donations to help bring oral health care to underserved veterans. Nationwide partners include Dental Lifeline Network, Everyone for Veterans, Veterans Smile Day and Freedom Day USA. Get involved and learn more about the initiative by visiting www.adafoundation.org/GVAS.

About the ADA Foundation
The ADA Foundation (ADAF) is the 501(c)(3) philanthropy-focused charitable arm of the American Dental Association. The Foundation encourages hope and health in communities through philanthropy, professional development and recognizing promising leaders in the dental profession. As part of these efforts, the Foundation oversees Give Kids A Smile® and its suite of smile programs like Tiny Smiles and Give Veterans A Smile, in addition to Charitable Assistance Grants, Whiston Leadership Award, and Crest and Oral-B Promising Researcher Award.

About the American Dental Association
The not-for-profit ADA is the nation's largest dental association, representing 159,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public's health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA's state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance has long been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care products. The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA), published monthly, is the ADA's flagship publication and the best-read scientific journal in dentistry. For more information about the ADA, visit ADA.org. For more information on oral health, including prevention, care and treatment of dental disease, visit the ADA's consumer website MouthHealthy.org.

The ADA Forsyth Institute was founded in 1910 as the Forsyth Dental Infirmary for Children (later, the Forsyth Institute), to provide dental care to the disadvantaged children of Boston. While continuing to serve children in need, yet recognizing the ultimate goal is to prevent dental disease, the Institute in 1915 began to focus on scientific research and is today the world’s leader in oral health research. In October of 2023, the Institute joined with the American Dental Association to form the ADA Forsyth Institute, a 501(c)(3) entity dedicated to improving people’s oral and overall health and powering the profession of dentistry through cutting-edge basic research, creative translational science, innovative clinical technologies, and global public health outreach. Consistent with the Institute’s founding mission, the ADA ForsythKids mobile dental program continues to serve children in need.