People in these parts are generally supportive of our veterans. Most will thank Vets for their service, some will donate to a cause here and there and a few will take part in events meant to honor those who have served. Then there are those rare folks who absolutely hit it out of the park when it comes to giving back. Like Newaygo Family Dentistry. For a few years now the office of Drs Ross and Dennis Nelson have put their skills toward providing a free day of dental care to veterans. And next Friday, November 12th this exercise in compassion will be once again be taking place as the staff of NFD. We caught up with the office to pose a few questions on this remarkable initiative. What are the requirements? How does one access the services? Appts? Walk-ins? Appt only. The only requirement is proof of being a Veteran (for example, a military ID or any document that states the person has served in the military) Services provided are cleanings, fillings, and extractions. Any vet can call our office and let the front desk know what they would like. For example, if the patient isn’t in any pain and would just like a cleaning they can plan on just a cleaning that day. If a vet calls and they are in pain or they have any other concerns, they can plan on seeing Dr. Ross for treatment. In the past we have had Vet's get a cleaning and treatment done, but that is only if the schedule allows for both services to be done. This involves a great deal of planning and some volunteering I imagine. So given that, why do this? While it does involve a great deal of planning, we all enjoy the outcome of our annual Vet's Day. The Vets are always so thankful to be seen, and a lot of them tell their Vet friends to come next year! It's always a pleasure. All of the staff volunteer their time on Vet's Day and we are all happy to do it. Personally, it's my favorite day of the year and I think most of the staff here would agree. We love giving back to our community! Having our annual Vet's Day also gives the Vet's a chance to talk to us about their overall oral health concerns... a lot of Vet's convert to actual patients at our office and are then seen on a regular basis, whereas before they may have not been coming to the dentist at all. So that in itself is rewarding, because it may give our local Vet's the courage to seek dental care. How many years has it been going on? We have been doing this since 2018, so this will be our 4th year! How many people have been served? Total, we have served close to 40 Vets. Any returnees? Yes! About 50% are returnees and they often tell other Vet's about us, which is always wonderful. What has the response been from vets? It's been WONDERFUL! Every year it is so great seeing the gratitude on the Vet's faces when they leave here. It motivates us to keep this going. We have no plans of stopping! Rock on, NFD.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
April 2024
Categories |