Lasting Impressions | Fall 2015

26 © NSU LASTING IMPRESSIONS GIVE VETS A SMILE Give Vets a Smile has more dentists than it has referrals, but the program always is looking for additional Broward County dentists to join the pro bono network, according to Thomas Ellis, senior director of Mission United. Volunteer dentists are asked to take on one case per year, Ellis said. In addition, veterans who can’t afford needed dental care should call United Way of Broward County to begin the intake process. Veterans and volunteer dentists both can call United Way 24 hours a day, (954) 486-4833 . Fred Roger, who received dental care through the Give Vets a Smile program, discusses the College of Dental Medicine’s role in the project with April Coan, a former marine who is working on her Ph.D. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution. Roger, executive director of the Veterans Trust, knew to call Mission United. A general dentist referred him to an endodontist, also a member of the pro bono network, who performed a root canal, prepared a temporary crown, and then a permanent crown—all at no cost to Roger. The program “restores faith in society among the veter- ans community,” Roger said. “A lot of people want to say, ‘Thank you for your service.’ A program like this gives them an opportunity to give back to the ones who served.” SUPPORT FROM NSU Give Vets a Smile is one of the newest veterans programs in which Nova Southeastern University takes part, and the list continues to grow, according to Durham, who has been coordinating NSU’s efforts for veterans for years. “NSU became interested in veterans several years ago,” Durham said, pointing to a program that helped returning Broward County veterans deal with post-traumatic stress disorder. Since then, the university has worked to offer mental-health services, and the Shepard Broad College of Law has partnered with Legal Aid and United Way to pro- vide free legal services to veterans. “We have complete sup- port, a real culture developing at the university,” Durham said. “You can never find anyone who says no when it comes to veterans.” WILLING VOLUNTEERS It wasn’t difficult to build the network of pro bono den- tists, according to Patten. He used his contacts as past president of Atlantic Coast District Dental Association to line up volunteers. Articles went into the association’s monthly newsletter and at every monthly dinner meeting of the Atlantic Coast Dis- trict Dental Association, he’d talk up the program, ask for volunteers, and pass around a sign-up sheet. Likewise, Uchin drew on his contacts as past president of both the Florida Dental Association and the Broward County Dental Association, and he knew which dentists to contact at the Greater Hollywood Dental Society, which serves southern Broward County. For his part, Ellis envisions Give Vets a Smile as a program that can be copied and scaled, larger or smaller, in other communities. Mission United expanded earlier this year to Orlando and to Miami-Dade County, and he hopes Broward Coun- ty’s program can be simply copied, adjusted for the size of its veterans’ population, and put into place. “That’s the beauty of Broward County,” said Ellis. “It’s a wonderful community where relationships prevail, and those relationships can really cut through a lot of red tape. People want to support one another, and they want to sup- port the community. It’s atypical in a county our size.” Uchin believes in Give Vets a Smile, calling it “some- thing that’s truly a professional responsibility. To me, it’s the way things should be for all people.” But Roger, the veteran who benefited from the Give Vets a Smile program, has a different take: “It shows how many people actually care for veterans. It restores my faith in patriotism,” he said. u