AAVD Annual Report
FY2022
Overview
The Adopt a Vet Dental Program has helped 1,524 Veterans with Dental Care, and has provided $7,912,636.41 worth of donated care to Nevada’s Veterans since 2010!
AAVD Donated Services
Donated Services are services donated by our volunteer providers and community partnered labs. Services include full restorations, emergency care, oral surgery, and some lab donated services.
AAVD Veterans Served
The number of Veterans that received Dental Care as full restoration and/or emergency care.
Serving Nevada Veterans & Overcoming Obstacles
2018- AAVD Clinic Closed Down due to Construction at TMCC
2019- AAVD Separated from NNDHP
2020- COVID-19 Shut Down
2021- COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS
“The part of the Adopt a Vet Dental Program that I like the most is meeting the heroes that have helped make our Country what it is today. Their stories and experiences help me understand how precious our freedom is and how thankful I am that they served our Country for the rest of us.
All the Vets that I help are so grateful and happy to get the help they need. Giving them the teeth they have been longing for is the greatest reward! Dentistry can change their life and make it better. To give them a better smile is the least I can do to honor these brave Veterans.
It is my honor to help them and show my gratitude for all they have done for our Country.”
Eric Dean, DDS
Reno, NV
AAVD Providers
The number of Participating Providers in the AAVD Program since receiving state funding. We currently have 143 Volunteer Providers and 16 Participating Labs!
143
Volunteer Providers
2010 to June 2022
1,524
Veterans Served
516
Total Emergencies
104
Total Veterans Waitlisted
1,008
Full Mouth Restorations
FY 2022
The Adopt a Vet Dental Program’s Fiscal Year 2022 shows the growth and momentum of all the hard work and dedication to Nevada Veterans.
Every $1.00 donated
=
$3.00 in dental services
62
Clinic Veterans
Completed
44
Community Veterans
Completed
Critical Need for Dental Care
- The need for access to dental care is crucial for the overall health of everyone. Not having access to dental care can lead to tooth decay, abscesses, and mouth infections. These can lead to or seriously complicate life-threatening diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and other chronic illnesses, and in a worst-case scenario, death from infections.
- We have an epidemic of oral health disease among the low-income Veterans throughout the State of Nevada.
- A disturbing 90% of the approximately 275,000 Veterans in Nevada do not qualify for dental care because the requirements are so restrictive.
- The Reno VA accounts for 98% of all Veteran referrals to AAVD.
- Dental care options are very limited for low-income Veterans in Nevada.
- In many cases, AAVD is the only viable option for low-income Veterans because there is no cost to them.
- Painful oral decay can lead to loss of teeth where the Veteran cannot eat or digest their food properly and receive the necessary nourishment to maintain their health. There is also the stigma of not being able to smile which often leads to isolation and the ability to function in a job or in social situations.
Key Program Successes
- AAVD was voted as the #1 Need in Northern Nevada by the Nevada Department of Veterans Services (NDVS) to provide dental care to low-income Veterans for the past several legislative sessions.
- On December 1, 2021, the City of Henderson awarded the Adopt a Vet Dental Program with the Outstanding Non-Profit Award (2021) for the profound impact of the Veteran community.
- Since April 2010, AAVD has provided full-mouth restoration and/or emergency dental care to over 1,500 low-income Veterans. Included in that number are 229 Veterans living in the rural areas and 74 women Veterans — two of our most underserved populations.
- AAVD currently has 143 volunteer dental professionals participating in our program that have donated over $7.9 million dollars in dental services to our low-income Veterans. For every $1 donated, $3 in dental services are provided.
- AAVD operates an AAVD Veterans Dental Clinic at Truckee Meadows Community College one day a week that allows our program to assist our volunteer community dentists in providing more Veterans with dental care. This keeps our waitlist down to an average of 100-125 Veterans which is more acceptable and manageable. Also, as part of our collaboration, our clinic staff supervises and mentors their dental hygiene students by providing them with “hands on” practical experience and training while working on Veterans in a clinical setting.
- Low-income Veterans requiring emergency dental care can now receive critical treatment in the clinic within 2-4 days instead of typically two weeks with an AAVD oral surgeon in the community.
- AAVD now serves 14 counties in Northern and Central Nevada: Carson City, Churchill, Douglas, Elko, Esmeralda, Humboldt, Lander, Lyon, Mineral, Pershing, Storey, Washoe, and White Pine.
- As of July 1, 2021, AAVD now serves the entire State of Nevada. After years of research and development, AAVD expanded our dental program into Southern Nevada. We have repositioned staff to assist in the growth of the AAVD program in Las Vegas and the surrounding area.
Thank You
Join Our Tooth & Rescue Team
Now Recruiting
The Tooth and Rescue Team is made up of individuals who partner with AAVD through monthly giving, providing AAVD with predictable resources and tools to plan for the future.
There is no other way for low-income Veterans to get dental care. The VA only treats Veterans who meet their strict criteria, helping only 8% of those in need. They refer everyone else to us and we don’t leave any qualifying Veteran behind.
Join the Tooth & Rescue Team.
Save Smiles. Change Lives.
Member Benefits
As a member of the Tooth and Rescue Team, you will receive the following:
Tooth and Rescue Sit Rep: AAVD’s monthly newsletter exclusively for the team
Recon Mission: Clinic tour
Roll Call: Birthday social media shout out (unless you opt out)
Those who give at these levels will also receive additional Tooth and Rescue perks:
Bronze Team – $25: team t-shirt
Silver Team – $50: team t-shirt and morale patch
Gold Team – $100: team t-shirt, morale patch and AAVD challenge coin
“When you give monthly, it’s hardly noticeable in your budget and you still get to make a huge impact and change a veteran’s life. It’s phenomenal.”
— Lisa Jayne
