Critical Dental Care for Southwest Florida Military Veterans

• Lee County has over 60,000 military veterans. Collier County has almost 28,000.
• Many of these veterans are in need of critical dental care.
• According to the Wounded Veterans Relief Fund (WVRF), 85% of wounded and disabled veterans who are enrolled in the Veterans Administration (VA) do not receive VA dental care.
• Many of these veterans cannot afford dental insurance.
• This critical dental care program is not for routine or cosmetic care–rather, it is for critical dental care which, if left untreated, can lead to more serious health conditions.
• MOASWF partners with the WVRF to identify veterans in need of critical dental care, to arrange for them to receive it, and to pay the dental provider directly. According to WVRF, the average cost/veteran of this critical dental care is $5,353.
• Veteran eligibility requirements:
  • Be a U.S. Military Veteran with any discharge status other than dishonorable
  • Be a Florida resident living in Florida
  • Be at 300% below household Federal Poverty Guidelines
  • Not qualify for VA Dental Care
  • Be in need of critical dental care
• As one veteran who received critical dental care through the MOASWF/WVRF partnership put it: “They saved my life!”