HENDERSON, NEV. Nov. 17, 2025 – PDS Health®, a leading integrated healthcare support organization, provided $92,079 in donated oral health care to 27 veterans during the annual Give Vets a Smile campaign this month as part of its many efforts throughout the year to highlight the critical need for veterans’ access to oral health care across the U.S. While more than nine million veterans are eligible for VA medical benefits, over 80 percent do not qualify for dental coverage. Compared to non-veterans, veterans are 60 percent more likely to experience tooth decay and 42 percent have periodontal disease.
PDS Health, in partnership with the PDS Health Foundation™, hosts events throughout the year to provide oral health care at no cost to veterans. In November, dental teams at five PDS Health-supported practices in New Mexico — Santa Fe Modern Dentistry, Eagle Pointe Dentists and Orthodontics, Sandia Ridge Dentists, Cottonwood Smiles Dentistry, and Bosque Smiles Dentistry — volunteered their time and clinical expertise to deliver preventive and restorative care to veterans in their communities.
“We can and must do better for our nation’s veterans. This annual event is one way we can make an immediate impact,” said Kelley Hollingsworth Ryals, DDS owner of Santa Fe Modern Dentistry and active-duty member of the New Mexico Army National Guard. “The priority must be to make oral health care more accessible for veterans all year round, so that we can help prevent more serious conditions from developing.”
In “Addressing the Oral Health Needs of Veterans,” in the January 2025 issue of Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry, Dr. Ryals and her co-authors wrote, “Veterans suffering from PTSD encounter significant barriers when accessing dental care. PTSD can heighten sensory sensitivities and trigger severe anxiety in clinical settings, making dental visits particularly daunting.”
To create a more welcoming environment, the participating practices used sensory accommodation kits provided by PDS Health Foundation. These kits included items such as noise-canceling headphones and weighted lap pads to help reduce sensory overload and support a calmer experience for the veterans in their care.
Dr. Ryals and her co-authors pointed to the disparities in oral healthcare for veterans:
- 42 percent of veterans reported having had gum treatment or bone loss around their teeth (an indicator of periodontal disease), which is a significantly higher proportion than reported by nonveterans (27 percent)
- Roughly two in five veterans described their oral health as fair or poor. This extrapolates to 8 million veterans with deficient oral health.
One of the most common chronic inflammatory and frequently underdiagnosed diseases in the U.S., periodontal disease not only leads to tooth loss when left untreated but also increases the risk of serious systemic conditions including heart disease, diabetes, and cognitive decline.
The veterans-focused initiative is part of PDS Health’s broader commitment to increasing access to care and creating healthier, happier communities. Each year, PDS Health practices participate in service initiatives across the country, including the organization’s annual Smile Generation Serve Day. In 2025, Serve Day delivered more than $20 million in donated care nationwide.
To learn more about PDS Health’s year-round service efforts, visit pdshealth.com.
