On January 25th & 26th, Dr. Michael Bleeker volunteered with the Central Arizona Dental Society Mission of Mercy (AZMOM) who offered dental services for the first time at the Arizona Housing Coalition's Arizona Veterans StandDown Alliance. Dr. Bleeker was one of 37 other valley dentists who volunteered their time at the AZ State Fairgrounds-Veterans Memorial Coliseum, where nearly 2,000 veterans were expected to attend. In two days they provided over $330,000 in donated dental services to 313 patients. Some of the services included were cleanings, fillings, extractions, and dentures to at-risk veterans.
Dr. Bleeker shares why he volunteered his time in the denture lab, and what this experience meant to him:
“Any opportunity to help the underserved in our community is a blessing. The Veterans MC StandDown was particularly important to me because I'm a combat veteran myself. I appreciate the sacrifices these patriots have made to the country only to be denied health care or placed on wait lists that never end. It was truly a pleasure to do my small part helping my fellow vets and bring a ray of sunshine into their lives. I was able to meet and treat patients that I really cared about and wanted to offer them the best dental care possible. We all left the event physically and emotionally exhausted but with a profound feeling of satisfaction and wishing we could do more.”
According to the VA, access to dental care was consistently ranked by veterans experiencing homelessness as one of their top 3 unmet needs, along with long-term permanent housing and childcare. Dental issues, such as persistent pain and/or missing teeth can be tremendous barriers in seeking and obtaining employment. Studies have shown that many veterans report that after dental care they feel a significant improvement in perceived oral health, general health, and overall self-esteem.
Dr. Bleeker looks forward to volunteering again next year and continue to provide free dental care and smiles to the Veterans of our community!
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