Hundreds of veterans and their families recently received free dental care through Nebraska’s Veterans Mission of Mercy Dental Event.
The Veterans Mission of Mercy (VETMOM) event took place at the Nebraska National Guard Titan Readiness Center in Yutan where 425 patients were seen. There were more than 2,500 dental services available, including cleanings, fillings, root canals, extractions and x-rays, which estimated to be worth more than $550,000.
“It’s hard to put into words how incredible this dental clinic is,” said Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly. “Every room is filled with patients and bustling with activity. There are hundreds of people volunteering their time, sacrificing their weekend, because this is such a worthy cause. Our veterans have served to protect us, and as Nebraskans we are here to repay them.”
Of Nebraska’s 115,000 veterans, only around 10% qualify for dental care through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Access to dental care is one of the most requested needs reported to the Nebraska Department of Veterans’ Affairs (NDVA), which provided more than $300,000 in emergency financial assistance related to dental care through the Nebraska Veterans Aid Fund in fiscal year 2025.
The VETMOM seeks to bridge that gap and provide at least some of the dental care needed by Nebraska’s veterans. The event was supported by hundreds of volunteers, which included dentists, dental students, dental hygienists, dental hygiene students and private dental practices.
Along with the many services provided, more than 100 dentures were provided as well. Dentists on site took digital impressions and emailed them to Dental Designs, where technicians designed and 3D printed prosthetics for veterans. With a team of roughly 30 technicians, Dental Designs personnel were on site and back in the lab working around the clock to deliver partials and dentures for patients within 24 hours of their first visit.
“Accessing quality dental care services is a huge challenge for many veterans, especially for older people,” said State Dental Health Director Charles Craft. “Much of the dental care provided at the VETMOM event involved the need for dentures to replace missing teeth that are essential for proper eating. The ability to receive dentures quickly within a 48-hour period speaks to the dedication of our many professional volunteers and partner organizations who worked around the clock to give back to our Nebraska veterans.”
The two-day event was a partnership between NDVA, Nebraska National Guard, Department of Health and Human and Services, Office of Oral Health and Dentistry, Nebraska Dental Association, Nebraska Dental Hygienists’ Association, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) College of Dentistry and Creighton University School of Dentistry.
“It was an honor to take care of the dental needs for our veterans,” said James Jenkins, associate professor at UNMC College of Dentistry who served as the VETMOM clinical director. “I hope they felt appreciated for their service to our nation to protect the freedoms we all enjoy. It was a true team effort, and all the volunteers worked very hard and did a great job. I know our volunteers were blessed by helping others, as were the patients we treated. It was great to see the new smiles on the faces of many of the veterans we served!”
Over the last three years VETMOM has hosted these events, 1,250 veterans, spouses and surviving spouses have been treated for a total of more than $1.6 million in dental care. Another VETMOM event is tentatively planned for fall 2026.
We know there’s a need. We know this is important. And we have an incredible group of Nebraskans who are stepping up to solve the issue,” said NDVA Director John Hilgert. “It really is like clockwork at this point, and I’m looking forward to many more years of providing this care.”