Media Advisory: UB Dental to offer free care to WNY vets on Veterans Day

BUFFALO, N.Y. – In honor of Veterans Day, the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine welcomes local veterans to receive a day of free dental screenings, extractions, restorations and denture repairs through its third annual Dentistry Smiles on Veterans.

The program – a partnership between UB Dental, the New York State Dental Association and the Eighth District Dental Society – will provide free dental care to nearly 200 Western New York veterans.

When: Saturday, Nov. 11, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: UB Dental Clinic in Squire Hall on the South Campus. For a map of the campus, visit http://bit.ly/2nhJ2Nr.

Media are invited to attend. On-site contact is Marcene Robinson, 716-207-5814 or marcener@buffalo.edu.

A ceremony will begin at 8:30 a.m. with a procession led by the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station Honor Guard. Remarks will follow.

Speakers include Congressman Brian Higgins, U.S. Representative for New York's 27th District; New York State Senator Timothy M. Kennedy, D-63rd district; UB Provost Charles F. Zukoski, PhD; and Joseph J. Zambon, DDS, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor and dean of the School of Dental Medicine.

Why: Dentistry Smiles on Veterans aims to deliver needed services to veterans who lack dental insurance or do not qualify for dental treatment through the Veterans Health Administration, a benefit reserved only for those with service-related dental injuries.

Throughout the day, more than 100 Buffalo-area dentists and hygienists, and UB dental students, faculty and staff will volunteer to provide care that ranges from simple cleanings to oral surgery.

This year, the program will also offer health screenings from student and faculty volunteers in the UB School of Nursing.