New smiles for Nebraska veterans: Dental Designs prepares for Mission of Mercy
Lincoln, Neb. (KLKN) — Hundreds of Nebraska veterans will have access to free dental care this weekend through the Veterans Mission of Mercy event, and for some, that will mean walking away with a brand-new smile.
Dental Designs is preparing to make more than 100 dentures for veterans attending the free dental clinic. The team is preparing to complete in about 24 hours a process that would normally take around 10 days.
The Veterans Mission of Mercy clinic will offer services ranging from cleanings and fillings to extractions and dentures. More than 500 veterans are expected to be seen during the two-day event.
Ahead of the clinic, team members at Dental Designs are preparing for an around-the-clock effort, practicing some of the hands-on work that goes into finishing the dentures.
“It takes an army, almost,” Dental Designs President Joe Barrett said. “In order just to do one denture, it takes about four technicians. It takes about four days. When we’re doing over 100 or close to 200, it takes about 35 people who work together and either design, or print, or drive, or moral support.”
Beginning Friday, dentists at the clinic will take impressions from veterans and send them digitally to the Dental Designs lab. Technicians will use those impressions to design the dentures before sending the designs to 3D printers.
The dentures are then finished by hand before being sent back to the clinic for the veterans.
Six people from Dental Designs will be at the event working with dentists and veterans, while most of the team will remain at the lab designing, printing and finishing the dentures.
Dental Designs first became involved with the event about four years ago after the University of Nebraska reached out to the company about helping veterans with denture repairs and partials. Its involvement has since grown as the team has been able to design and print dentures with a much faster turnaround.
Barrett said cost and access can make this type of dental care difficult for some veterans to receive. He said seeing the impact of the team’s work makes the long hours worthwhile.
“The next day, when they came back for their denture to be inserted, it was put in their mouth, and you could just see the smiles that went on their faces,” Barrett said. “It changes their life. It’s a huge impact on them.”
Barrett said he shares photos of veterans with their new smiles with the team back at the lab so they can see the people behind the work they’re doing.
The Veterans Mission of Mercy clinic runs Friday, Aug. 28, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 29, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Army National Guard Titan Readiness Center in Yutan.
Denture appointments are already full, but other free dental services will be available to eligible veterans and their spouses.
