Nebraska Army National Guard dentist gives back to Veterans in need during Mission of Mercy Dental Clinic

Story by Kevin Hynes

Joint Force Headquarters – Nebraska National Guard

MEAD TRAINING SITE, Neb. – Serving as an active Army dentist during four deployments to Iraq in the mid-2000s, Dr. (Col.) Michael Sullivan, DDS, performed oral surgery in some of the most demanding environments imaginable.

Now, years later, the motivation to serve others is still as strong as ever. So, when Sullivan saw an opportunity to lend his skills to Veterans in need, he jumped at the chance.

“For me taking care of war Veterans and folks who served is especially important,” said Sullivan, who was one of more than 350 people who volunteered to support the Nov. 15-16 Veterans Mission of Mercy Dental Clinic at the Nebraska Army National Guard’s Titan Readiness Center at the Mead Training Site.

Sullivan said he wasn’t able to participate last year due to scheduling conflicts. However, when he learned that the clinic would be held again in November, he quickly volunteered to help out.

“I didn’t want to miss it,” Sullivan said during a momentary break between performing teeth extractions on the main assembly floor of the readiness center. “I wanted to do as much as I can.”

The Veterans Mission of Mercy Dental Clinic, hosted by the Nebraska Dental Foundation, was a free two-day dental effort. Veterans and their spouses were able to receive such dental services as exams, cleanings, fillings, root canals, extractions and even dentures.

According to Dr. Charles F. Craft, DDS, Nebraska State Dental Health director, the second-annual event brought together more than 350 volunteers who provided over one-half million dollars of dental care for patients.
Craft, who served with U.S. Public Health Service and led more than 35 foreign humanitarian assistance missions into locations like Afghanistan while detailed to the Department of Defense, said the Veterans Mission of Mercy Dental Clinic is filling a very real need among Nebraska Veterans. So much so that the available appointments for this clinic were filled weeks before the actual event.

“This dental care is very important because poor oral health can affect your overall general health and quality of life, especially for older people,” said Craft.
Several years ago, Craft met with local Veterans Affairs officials to discuss the fact that few Nebraska Veterans – roughly only 15 percent — qualify for dental benefits through the VA system. He learned that access to dental care was the number one concern among state Veterans.

“The average age of Nebraska Veterans at this event was 65. And many of them have been missing teeth… not just for years, but for decades,” Craft said. “They may not have dental insurance or a regular dentist and often they are suffering in silence.”
Craft set out to change that. He met with the Nebraska Departments of Veterans Affairs, the Nebraska National Guard, and leaders from the state’s two dental schools at the University of Nebraska and Creighton University. He also spoke with members of the Nebraska Dental and Hygiene Associations.

“Everyone offered to help address this critical Veteran issue,” Craft said.

Donors and sponsors soon followed, allowing the Nebraska Dental Foundation to host its first Veterans dental clinic in November 2023 at the Guard’s Titan Readiness Center. Craft said this year’s event was larger than 2023, underlying the current need that exists in Nebraska for Veteran dental care.

The turnout supports that appraisal. Throughout both days a “wave” of new Veterans and their spouses, arrived on average every 90 minutes. Once there, teams of volunteers provided initial consultation, medical screenings, x-rays, diagnosis and dental treatment in one of the 45 stations set up on the assembly floor– as well as assistance in potentially enrolling for additional VA services.

Craft said one of the unique aspects of the effort was the ability of Veterans and spouses to receive dentures in roughly two days.

“Normally, dentures involve about six appointments over about a three to four-month period of time and could cost $5,000 or more,” he said. “At this event, we are able to take their x-rays, impressions, scan their dentition and send the information electronically to a dental design laboratory in Lincoln or Omaha. Their staff works all night to 3-D print these custom dentures cases. The patients return the very next day to have them inserted.”

“These Veterans are now getting better access to denture care services than the general public can and that is what they deserve” Craft added.

He said the support the Nebraska National Guard provided, including use of the Titan Readiness Center, was invaluable.

“Normally, we would set up in a school or convention center which is a bit awkward” he said. “This large space allows for professional organization with specific sections designed for each type of treatment. And the fact that it’s in military setting (it) honors the Veterans and their service. Collaboration with the National Guard was a huge factor in overall mission success.”

For Sullivan, the days’ efforts including working with teams of volunteer dentists and dental students to solve a wide array of dental problems. He said the entire community effort was heartwarming.

“It’s amazing. I love it,” said Sullivan, who wore his trademark camouflage cap to the clinic. “It’s so fun to see the dental students from the dental colleges here. For them to be so motivated to take time out of their day to just serve and to want to do a good care for the community is really exciting.”

“To see dentists coming together from all around the area and all wanting to volunteer their time… especially for this population of people who were willing to make that sacrifice for them… I just love that,” Sullivan added. “I especially love being able to see Vietnam Veterans. I’ve never missed an opportunity to tell them welcome home and thank you for their service… They just don’t get the credit they deserve… and they need it.”

“I just love being able to just say thank you to them and tell them how much they are appreciated and how much they mean to us as a nation.”