NEW PORT RICHEY — Some 75 veterans had plenty to smile about after the inaugural Stars, Stripes and Smiles event.
The office of U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis and the West Pasco Dental Association set up the free dental care for soldiers at Pasco-Hernando State College West Campus. PHSC dental students gave their help as well.
Under current regulations, only veterans classified as 100 percent disabled can get dental care, an aide to Bilirakis, Summer Robertson, said.
Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, will file proposals to expand dental care to more veterans, Robertson said. “That’s something the congressman feels very strongly about,” she remarked. “Oral health is essential to wellness and complete health.”
Robertson introduced Zack Kalarickal, a Wesley Chapel-area dentist and Navy veteran.
“This whole project is (Kalarickal’s) brainchild, working with the West Pasco Dental Association,” Robertson observed. “We’re very happy for his service, and it’s a wonderful way to give back.”
Dentists are a charitable group, Kalarickal observed. The free care at Stars, Stripes and Smiles aided 75 veterans with about $30,000 worth of treatments. Last year, a regional project at the state fairgrounds in Tampa served about 1,600 patients who got about $1.16 million worth of free care, he recalled.
Kalarickal led a tour of the PHSC West facilities. His first stop was the radiography lab, where he studied X-rays of veterans’ teeth with assistant Angela Baxter.
Nearby, dental hygiene students under supervision of instructors cleaned teeth of veterans.
Other patients got fillings in teeth with cavities. “We’re trying to save as many teeth for patients as possible,” Kalarickal said.
Some teeth had to be pulled to reduce chances of infections, Kalarickal said.
In the diagnosis area, New Port Richey dentist Garland Forbes worked with volunteer PHSC students to determine the best treatment.
“What’s great about it on this one day we’re able to provide some care for them,” Kalarickal said about his fellow veterans. “What’s sad is we really need more than one day.”
The event stressed “collaborative education” by giving out toothbrushes, dental hygiene instructions, information on tobacco cessation programs and other free help available, Kalarickal said.
“Hopefully, with the congressman’s initiative, we’ll also have more access to professional dental care for veterans who need this care,” Kalarickal said.
PHSC President Timothy Beard stopped by Stars, Stripes and Smiles to congratulate the volunteer dentists, students and veterans.
“It certainly is a win-win,” Beard said.
Among the patients, Valerie Marie Evans said she got hurt during Marine training in North Carolina. She sought to have her teeth cleaned at Stars, Stripes and Smiles since the last cleaning was in 2012.
“If I feared going to the dentist after everything we went through in training, there would be something wrong with me,” Evans said. “Dentists never bothered me.”
While in the Marines, she underwent a root canal and removal of two wisdom teeth.
“I think it’s phenomenal,” Evans said about the free dental care. “Veterans need this.”
Source: http://www.suncoastnews.com/su/list/news-pasco/veterans-receive-free-dental-care-20151020/#sthash.fi0DmwM4.dpufIn other dental news: Aurident offers the Optimet DS 6000 Scanner which uses patented proprietary conoscopic holographic technology to generate highly accurate and consistent scans.
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