Operation Stand Down dental care event for vets slated for Nov. 3

by Talk Business & Politics staff ([email protected]) 650 views 

Delta Dental of Arkansas will provide free dental care for eligible Arkansas military veterans on Nov. 3 during the annual Operation Stand Down event.

Two company executives and five current or previous board members are among the dentists planning and volunteering at the event. The Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation serves as a financial sponsor with a $15,000 grant for dental supplies to be shared among participating dental clinics.

Operation Stand Down will be hosted by the Arkansas International College of Dentistry and coordinated by the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs and will be held in six locations – Fort Smith, Fayetteville, Jonesboro, Little Rock, Pine Bluff and Arkadelphia.

Veterans must request an appointment for dental care services by emailing Gina Chandler at the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs at [email protected] or calling 501-682-6487. Proof of discharge papers, a DD214, will be required for verification purposes.

Veterans will be assigned a specific appointment time at the regional site clinic nearest to their location. Appointments will be made on a first-come, first-serve basis. Priority will be given to acute or urgent treatments. No walk-ins will be accepted on the day of Operation Stand Down.

Hosted by the International College of Dentistry, Operation Stand Down was launched in 2012 by an Indiana dentist and Air Force veteran who sought a scalable solution to the neglected oral health he observed among his ex-military patients. Since then, the event has expanded to multiple states. Volunteer dentists provide free dental care to eligible veterans on a designated day, typically on or around Veterans Day.