VA’s Office of Advanced Manufacturing (OAM) plays a pivotal role in using cutting-edge technologies to enhance Veterans’ lives. Through advanced 3D printing and digital dentistry, OAM helped reshape the smile of Clay Hill through dentures. Hill, 76, is a Vietnam Army Veteran (pictured above) who endured facial trauma during his service.
For the past three decades, the resilient Veteran used a less effective pair of dentures because of limited flexibility in his face caused by scars and major jaw surgery. However, thanks to the innovative approach facilitated by OAM, his journey took a transformative turn in just two months.
Giving Veterans a reason to smile
With access to VA dental services, Hill was able to enlist the services of the OAM team at Puget Sound VA in Seattle. The team used advanced 3D printing and digital dentistry to create custom dentures tailored to fit the unique shape of his mouth. He experienced improved comfort and functionality thanks to the precise alignment of the dentures.
During the denture customization, the dental assistant was brought to tears. The results were impressive. The dentures provided exceptional stability, ensuring they stayed firmly in place during everyday activities like eating and speaking. The Veteran was overwhelmed with gratitude and joy. This was more than a denture replacement. It transformed his well-being and gave him a smile he could be proud of.
He expressed his profound satisfaction with the outcome, stating, “VA Puget Sound did an excellent job. I would give them a 5-star rating. I would send any of my Veteran buddies in need of teeth to this team. The dentures are awesome. I feel great, I look great.”
Impacting Veteran care through innovation
This experience demonstrates what OAM aims to do: give personalized, safe and equitable care to Veterans by improving VA’s manufacturing abilities. It also highlights the dedication of VA staff to giving the best possible care to its patients and bringing in innovative approaches when traditional solutions do not fully meet Veterans’ needs.
The story of this Veteran’s smile serves as an important reminder of the great impact that innovation and compassion can have on the lives of those we serve across the enterprise. OAM will continue to uphold the sacred obligation to honor and care for the Nation’s Veterans, one smile at a time.
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Thanks for your help..
Now what about Full Facial Reconstruction.? I see a Navy Vet,
with All of the Center of his Face
Gone.. I do Not want to intrude
— but I guess it was from Combat Duty,
or Cancer.? It will be hard to find him,
because I don’t know his full name..
I just called him by a Nickname, that I forgot — Joe, Navy or Airforce.. That was four years ago, and I don’t know IF he has gotten any help since then.? I only saw him at a Local Supermarket — in Grenada Hills, California.. I guess that’s all..
… notice how everyone is welcome to comment or leave questions…. but there’s never any replies…?….
There’s JUST enough people getting treated for them to crow about what a great job they’re doing and “… we’ll be needing more funding for that, please…” while the majority of vets get nothing but crickets.
The VA is nothing but an insider fund raiser for political parasites…..
Need dental services where do I get help
I would like to get some dental work done!
It does me no good. I served 3 years 68-71, and I cannot use the dental as I don’t have a 100% disability. I could use dentures, but they won’t let me use the dental at Jessy Brown. I am willing to even pay something as they be cheaper, but we cannot..
hey that’s great for this Veteran! it’s far better than nothing. now, how about some sunk into the jawbone dental implants for Veterans instead of effing dentures for all. My mama wore dentures. She worked on them each night with a carpenter’s rasp. VA needs to enter the present century and actually PAY dentists for more than veterinary medicine work prices. Thank you.
I have had two teeth replaced with implants but it was done thru CCN still at no charge to me . Rated 100% disabled and had to push for the procedure you are your best advocate .
This does sound great. But, what is the cost to the veteran?
I have been trying to get new dentures for a year and a half at the Temple VA. After they didn’t follow through and many canceled appt.s I am still waiting.
If Veteran Affairs Dental Healthcare Is Not Provided To All United States Veterans In A Timely, Fair, Quality Controlled Manner That All Serving And Served American Veterans Most Assuredly Deserve And Need Due To Their Military Service, Then This Public, Veterans, And Veterans Affairs Employees Posting Is Just Another Publicity Stunt As A Veteran Affairs Veteran Poster Child Concerning Veteran Affairs Dental Services That Are Not Readily Available To All United States Veterans Today. Dental Care Salaries Paid Annually To Professional Care Personnel, Yet Not Received By Most Veterans. Another Waste Of Tax Payers Hard Earned Dollars For Nothing??
As a Vietnam Nam veteran can I get my teeth looked at by the VA Ass turning 70, being without a job or income money is tight.
Can I get an appointment into the VA?
Why didn’t my VA at El Paso, Texas offer this to me? I can’t even wear my dentures because they will not stay in .
One more reason to ask God to hurry up and take me.
How is Dentures available in some places but not others ? I am Retired USARMY AVIATION and. 31 Month veteran of. VIETNAM. 5 years in Korea, 5 years in Germany and 11 months in SAUDIA ARABIA. I feel I must be worth something!!!!
Does your local facility have dental services at all? If so, you should call the appointment scheduling service for your VA facility. If they don’t have any dental stuff, you’ll need to find the nearest VA facility that does have dental services and call them for appointment services. The criteria for eligibility for dental care has changed.
I wish Dental Services generally were more available to all veterans
How can I get help with this?.
Disab. Veteran 100% living in Nevada
it is wonderful I know its much more than being about a smile you can finally eat healthy. that’s what I miss.i can only wear my top denture the bottom one doesn’t stay in no matter how much glue you put on it.it just floats around and forget trying to speak with my lower denture in my teeth literally fall out of my mouth. but back to the important part since I have had all my teeth removed and had dentures I cant eat salad, raw veggies and dip, steamed vegetables (they have to be cooked til they are so soft that they are no longer nutrient rich),I can’t eat burgers,I basically live on anything soft but most the time those foods are not very nutritious. they are usually cooked to death and then mushed up. so I gave up doing my favorite thing cooking and eating good healthy food now I just grab little debbie cakes and junk food and shaved sandwich meat and super soft bread . boy I miss nice crunchy garlic bread and things like that but as you see its a lot more than about a fixing smiles its about giving people a chance to be happy and healthy I wish this technology was available to more people who need it.like me my husband was a VET but he is gone and I have nobody to help me. I Live in Burnsville N.C. and I was wondering when and if this might be coming to the Carolinas.Thank you for listening and thank you for all your hard work.
I like many other Veterans have major dental problems, but I was under the impression that Dental is not a health care?????? We were promised health care for life, BUT WE ARE NOT GETTING FULL HEALTH CARE BECAUSE UNLESS YOU HAVE RECIEVED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR, WERE A PRISNOR OF WAR OR YOU 100% SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITY. Why can’t other Veterans that don’t have these service-connected disabilities “HE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR, WERE A PRISNOR OF WAR OR YOU 100% SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITY” have the dental benefits???? My brother-in-law has teeth missing, my friend has his 2 front teeth missing and I have another friend who is missing teeth, why can’t we get dental we served we deserve. there is a medical plan by Delta Dental, but my dentist like others don’t accept Delta Dental, they cover everything but can’t use it. There are other plans that have major surgery like Crowns and implants they only cover at 50%. We are stuck paying a outrageous amount a lot of money and getting nothing in return. My mouth will need 15 teeth as implants and all my teeth that are left, that need to be crowned. that’s not including Root Canals and Cavities. Estimated cost to fix everything 15K JUST for crowns 30K for implants.
You can’t find a dentist that accepts Delta Dental? Have you asked for an appointment with your local VA Dental Office, and if so, was it recently? I ask because the qualifying criteria for VA dental has changed. I suggest you at least give them a call and confirm that you are not eligible. I think there’s a form to fill out if you want it in writing in your VA record.
Thank you for this article. What are the qualifications needed for a Veteran to access Dental service’s ?
Is this for all veterans or just retired veterans?
The VA I go to provides essentially no dental care. All care provided by community care providers. Last time I went to the VA for an exam I sat in the waiting room for twenty monutes and saw no other patients come in or leave. Dentist did a 5 minute exam and referral to community dentist. There were 5 receptionists at the desk who were enjoying not doing anything.
Then why did it take over a year for me to get dentures at the Cleveland VA.
I did have 3 implants but no complications so taking over a year is sad.
Why can’t 90% disability veterans ever receive dental care from VA. if you’re not 100%
Disable, the VA will not treat you or even see you. I think that has to change to get the VA people a better opportunity to get the best treatment possible.
The money spent on dental care would be offset by the money that would be saved. Poor dental care is related to other diseases such as cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and others. It would be much cheaper to pay for dental care than to pay for the treatment of these other diseases. The American Inst. for Dental Public Health says that for every dollar spent on dental care, one dollar is saved on kidney disease and two dollars are saved on heart disease. It’s a case of an ounce of prevention versus a pound for the cure.
The VA certainly has state of the art dental facilities. Unfortunately, only 15% of enrolled veterans are eligible for VA dental care. There have been instances where, for certain procedures, veterans have had their teeth pulled, but the VA would not give them dentures.
H. R. 2413 would require the VA to treat dental care like the other medical specialties, but unless it gets a lot more co-sponsors, it will die in committee, as did its predecessor bills. Please get your (and others, too) congressman to co-sponsor this important legislation.
I agree! I needed dentures and had to go outside of the VA because I didn’t have a “service connected” disability. So I can’t get my teeth fixed for eating ?
I agree! I needed dentures but had to use an outside dentist
I agree! Thank you, Larry, for highlighting this matter. I was unaware of the bill, but I will certainly contact my congressional representative to request their co-sponsorship of HR 2413: Dental Care for Veterans Act.