For many veterans, accessing dental care can be challenging. To address this, Kent County Veteran Services has partnered with My Community Dental Centers (MCDC) to provide complimentary dental services to veterans.
Nelson Soto, an army veteran who served for six years, is among those who have felt the struggle. "Dental care is something that is a lot of times overlooked, and it shouldn't be," Soto remarked.
He highlighted that dental services are available only to a select group of veterans, mainly those with certain disability ratings or issues connected to their service. "Dental specifically, is something that was kind of lacking," he added.
To bridge this gap, the initiative by Kent County Veteran Services and MCDC offers free dental care to veterans. Deborah Brown, CEO of MCDC and a veteran herself, emphasized the significance of community support in providing such crucial services. "This is not something you can do on your own. You need the support of people in the community to help provide these crucial services that veterans don't typically have," Brown stated.
Brown's own experience as a U.S. Army veteran drives her commitment to this cause. "When I was discharged years ago, I came out and I didn't have any dental care, and I found myself looking for a dentist and trying to find care to pay for on my own," she shared.
The free Dental Care Days, launched in 2023, offer veterans comprehensive services.
"They'll get a full exam, they'll get a treatment plan of everything that they need," Brown explained. "Fillings, cleanings, dentures, we've provided," she added.
The services are done at MCDC's Kent County locations in Cedar Springs, Kentwood, and Grand Rapids.
Brown views these services as a small gesture of gratitude to those who served the country. "You don't want to just provide emergency care, just taking care of one tooth at a time. You want to be able to provide full care, so that you take this veteran from the beginning to the end," she said.
Soto hopes that more veterans will become aware of these opportunities to enhance their dental health. "The only reason I'm doing this for the camera is because, in the hopes that a veteran hears this story and gets the help that they need, if they need it, you know, there's nothing to be afraid of," he said.
The schedule for the remaining dental days and locations is provided below:
June 13 & 20, 2025 | 4700 Kalamazoo Avenue SE, Kentwood, MI 49508
July 11, 2025 | 1411 White Creek Avenue NE, Cedar Springs, MI 49319
August 15, 2025 | 890 3 Mile Road NW Suite 4, Grand Rapids, MI 49544
September 5 & 20, 2025 | 4700 Kalamazoo Avenue SE, Kentwood, MI 49508
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