Orange, VA -- Piedmont Regional Dental Clinic (PRDC) will hold its fifth “Our Turn To Serve” clinic providing free dental care to low-income Virginia veterans on Saturday, November 10th. Participating veterans will receive an oral cancer and blood pressure screening, have their teeth cleaned, receive vision and hearing screening exams and receive assistance applying for Medicaid expansion if they desire.
PRDC has treated hundreds of veterans aged 18-99 during Our Turn To Serve; a significant number of these veterans haven’t seen a dentist in twenty years. One veteran reported he hadn’t seen a dentist since 1974 in Danang. These veterans served our country as far back as World War II to more recent years in Iraq and Afghanistan. The majority of veterans treated at Our Turn To Serve are now senior citizens.
This year Our Turn To Serve will be made possible by the generous sponsorship David and Linda Gibson, The Hintermann Family Foundation, Dominion Energy, Power of Change program at Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, Wells Fargo, Mclean Faulconer Realtors, S.L. Williamson, Tech Box, and Mason Insurance. In kind donations have been provided by Orange Pharmacy, the Virginia Dental Association Foundation, Lake of the Woods Lions Club, and the Woman’s Club of Madison County. Thanks to this level of support, the Our Turn To Serve Clinic will be able to treat substantially more veterans this year.
Veterans typically do not have dental coverage as part of the healthcare benefits they receive through the Veterans Administration (VA). “Eligibility for dental care is extremely limited for veterans, and differs significantly from eligibility requirements for medical care,” according toDr. Jack Thompson, DDS, US Air Force (Retired) and Piedmont Regional Dental Clinic (PRDC) Board member. “Unless a veteran is 100% disabled, has been a prisoner of war, is homeless, is enrolled in a VA vocational rehabilitation program or has a dental condition directly service-related, they receive no dental care from the Veterans Administration.” There are more than 12,000 uninsured, low income veterans in Virginia.
Veterans interested in receiving free dental care on November 10th should call PRDC at (540)661-0008 to make an appointment. With limited appointments available, the slots will go quickly. To receive free dental care Veterans Day, a veteran must:
- Live a household with income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level
- Provide a photo ID and proof of veteran status, and
- Make an appointment in advance by calling (540)661-0008
The Piedmont Regional Dental Clinic is a nonprofit dental safety net clinic providing access to affordable oral health care for underserved residents of the Piedmont. PRDC accepts Medicaid and always welcomes new patients. For more information, visit www.vaprdc.org.