Meeting Dental Health Care Needs for Female Veterans
At DCDS, we’re passionate about giving back to our community by providing access to quality dental care and education to those in need. From school-aged children to low-income patients to senior citizens, our organization offers a range of services and resources to a variety of demographics. Yet one group of individuals that is routinely overlooked is female veterans. With women comprising approximately 14% of active-duty forces, it’s remarkable how many of these veterans have and continue to experience poverty, homelessness and no access to health care. Because these women bravely serve our country and receive so little in return, DCDS is doing its part to meet a small piece of their health care needs.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, roughly 10% of female veterans are below the poverty line, and about 8% are uninsured. And while dental care is often ranked as one of the top three needs among veterans, low income coupled with being uninsured makes it considerably more difficult for female veterans to afford this kind of care. So we’ve expanded our existing partnership with Attitudes & Attire to provide dental care to female veterans through its Boots to Heels program. The Boots to Heels initiative provides workshops and a range of resources specifically tailored to meet the needs of female veterans. Our collaboration with this program helps those veterans repair and restore their oral health at no cost to them.
Working with Attitudes & Attire helps our organization fill a small portion of the gap in dental health care needs for female veterans, and we’re honored to be able to do so. If you are a veteran interested in participating in this program, please call 214-630-1667.