PDS Health? donated $92,079 in oral health care to 27 veterans this month through its Give Vets a Smile campaign, the company said, highlighting gaps in veterans’ access to dental services. Though more than nine million veterans are enrolled in VA medical benefits, the organization noted, over 80% do not qualify for VA dental coverage.
Volunteer teams from five PDS Health–supported practices in New Mexico — Santa Fe Modern Dentistry, Eagle Pointe Dentists and Orthodontics, Sandia Ridge Dentists, Cottonwood Smiles Dentistry and Bosque Smiles Dentistry — provided preventive and restorative care at no cost. Dental staff donated both time and clinical services for the events.
“We can and must do better for our nation’s veterans. This annual event is one way we can make an immediate impact,” said Kelley Hollingsworth Ryals, DDS, owner of Santa Fe Modern Dentistry and an active-duty member of the New Mexico Army National Guard. She added that oral care should be more accessible year-round to prevent more serious conditions.
In a January 2025 article in the Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry, Dr. Ryals and co-authors warned that veterans with PTSD often face sensory and anxiety barriers to dental care.
To address those challenges, participating practices used sensory accommodation kits supplied by the PDS Health Foundation?, including noise-canceling headphones and weighted lap pads intended to reduce overload and ease treatment.
The article and PDS Health’s summary cite stark oral health disparities among veterans: 42% have experienced gum treatment or bone loss around teeth — an indicator of periodontal disease — compared with 27% of non-veterans.
About two in five veterans described their oral health as fair or poor, which the organization said equates to roughly 8 million veterans with deficient oral health.
PDS Health also emphasized the wider health risks tied to untreated periodontal disease, including tooth loss and heightened risks of systemic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and cognitive decline.
The veteran outreach is part of PDS Health’s broader community efforts. The company and its foundation run multiple service initiatives each year, including the national Smile Generation Serve Day; PDS Health said Serve Day 2025 delivered more than $20 million in donated care nationwide.