At Aspen Dental, our purpose is to help patients get the care they need today. And we've turned that purpose into a movement. A Healthy Mouth Movement.
Since 2014, dentists and their teams from Aspen Dental practices across the country have provided free care to more than 27,000 veterans and people in need. That's a lot of happy mouths! And we're just getting started.
So, why do we do it? Nearly 150 million Americans didn't go to the dentist last year. Millions more live in places where there is little or no access to care. Other barriers get in the way too - like cost, lack of insurance, and fear. This is especially challenging for the majority of U.S. veterans as they are not eligible for dental benefits through the Veterans Administration unless they are 100% disabled, have a service-related mouth injury or were a prisoner of war.
Rollin' Rollin'
The MouthMobile is a 42-foot long dental office on wheels that provides free care to veterans in communities across the country.
The MouthMobile includes two treatment rooms, a digital X-ray machine, and is handicap accessible. Advance appointments are required, and are arranged through local non-profit partners.
While the MouthMobile tour was temporarily postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re looking forward to getting it back on the road as soon as possible!
Opening Doors
On one special day every year, hundreds of Aspen Dental practices across the country open their doors exclusively to veterans and provide dental care at no cost. The goal of Day of Service is to relieve patients' pain, make them aware of what other dental needs they have, and connect them to free or low-cost resources so they can continue to address their dental care needs long-term. In 2019, more than 4,500 veterans received services on that one day.
Learn more: Day of Service 2019
Taking it Abroad
For more than five years, teams of dentists, hygienists, dental assistants and lab technicians from across Aspen Nation have participated in an Overseas Outreach Program, traveling around the world to bring free dental care to countries in desperate need. On average, teams see approximately 600 patients during each week-long trip, which have taken us from South America to Africa to the Caribbean.