A Tulsa dental practice is offering free full-arch dental implants to veterans who qualify, a procedure that can cost thousands of dollars.
Secure Dentures and Implants, located at 1531 W. 81st St., Ste. B, in Tulsa, has partnered with the nonprofit Smiles For Your Service to provide the restorations at no cost to veterans and service members, KTUL reported on Wednesday, Nov. 4.
"Veterans have sacrificed everything, and we are so grateful for the choices they've made to defend our freedom, and we're delighted to take care of them the way they take care of us," Jordan Reynolds, office manager for Secure Dentures and Implants, said in the report.
Full-arch dental restoration replaces all the teeth in an upper or lower jaw as one unit. The announcement comes a week before Veterans Day on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
Who qualifies
The program serves active-duty and retired service members and veterans of the U.S. military who are experiencing financial hardship and need full-arch restoration, according to the Smiles For Your Service website. Applicants must have exhausted other avenues of assistance.
The nonprofit notes that Department ofVeterans Affairs dental benefits can be difficult for veterans to access unless they are 100% disabled, a prisoner of war, or have a dental condition tied to a service-related mouth injury.
Eligibility for VA dental care depends on a veteran’s benefits classification, service history and health circumstances; not all veterans qualify for comprehensive coverage. Veterans who pass a pre-screening step are contacted for an in-office consultation.
How to apply
The procedure is free. Veterans can apply or be nominated by someone else through the nonprofit's online application.
Dr. Heath Coleman, a doctor of dental surgery, founded Smiles For Your Service. The nonprofit says the program is made possible by donations and charitable dental professionals and vendors.
