More dental care coming for veterans

A new $50,000 state grant will allow more Lake County military veterans to receive free dental care.

In a rare evening meeting, the county board on Tuesday voted to accept the grant from the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs and dedicate the cash to the Lake County Veterans Assistance Commission's dental program.

It's the third consecutive year the county has received a grant from the state for the dental program. The program has grown dramatically in that time from about 15 patients to 116 last year, veterans commission Superintendent Mike Peck said.

Peck expects the new grant will allow his organization to expand services and treat 150 veterans.

"This is an area that the VA (usually) doesn't cover," Peck said in an interview before the meeting. "They're on their own. And you know how expensive dental care is."

The grant was funded with revenue from the state's veteran-themed scratch-off lottery tickets, Peck said.

Whereas World War II veterans generally seek help from Peck's group for hearing-related problems, he said Vietnam War veterans most commonly go to his office for dental care.

Dental treatments are provided through the county's public health department. Veterans in need of more complex services, such as root-canal procedures, are referred to local private dentists, Peck said.

The service relieves pain, improves health and boosts self-esteem, Peck said. But it also indirectly helps unemployed veterans find work.

"If a vet goes out there and is missing a lot of teeth, or his teeth are brown ... a lot of people don't get hired because of the way they look," Peck said.

To qualify for the dental service, a veteran must have received an honorable discharge and be receiving help from the Illinois Department of Human Services, such as food stamps or medical assistance. Combat experience is not a factor, nor is the veteran's branch of service or age.

If you're a veteran living in Lake County who needs dental care, call the commission at (847) 377-3344.