More veterans could get dental care
A Lake County program offering free dental care to indigent military veterans is set to expand dramatically, thanks to a proposed injection of state and local funds.
About 15 veterans receive dental care each year through the county's Veterans Assistant Commission, at an estimated cost of about $1,000 annually.
But if the county board accepts a $25,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs this month and matches it, the program could reach more than 100 veterans a year and offer more services, commission Superintendent Mike Peck said.
"There's such a need," Peck said. "And it's not just the veterans; it's their dependents. We're interested in helping their wives and their children as well."
The county's Veterans Assistance Commission has offered dental assistance to needy veterans for years. Cavities are among veterans' most common complaints, Peck said.
To qualify, a veteran must have received an honorable discharge and receive help from the Illinois Department of Human Services, such as food stamps or medical assistance, Peck said. Combat experience is not a factor, nor is a veteran's branch of service or age.
Under the current program, Peck's group refers veterans to local dentists and pays for their care.
The proposed program would provide examinations and teeth cleanings through the College of Lake County's dental hygienist program, Peck said. Veterans in need of additional services, such as fillings, dentures or root-canal procedures, would be referred to the county's public health department.
Among the veterans who stand to benefit is Morgan Sutton, who served in the Army from 1972 to 1987 and saw combat during the Vietnam War.
Sutton, 54, of Waukegan, has suffered from gum disease since the mid-1970s. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has refused him treatment, he said, and he can't afford dental insurance or treatment, so he's had to live with the painful ailment.
The Veterans Assistance Commission may provide the relief he needs, however. On Thursday, the group arranged for Sutton to see a dentist at the health department.
Sutton's grateful.
"It's a blessing," he said. "(The commission) does a lot for us. They're the best."
Navy veteran Robert Lewis of North Chicago is similarly appreciative. A tooth that broke about seven months ago is finally going to get fixed.
The government should better take care of its veterans, he said.
"We served our country for so many years, putting our lives on the line, but our bodies deteriorate," said Lewis, 55, a former corpsman who saw action in Vietnam and Beirut. "That stuff catches up to you."
The county board's health and human services committee and its financial and administrative committee approved the proposal this week. The full board could vote on the plan Feb. 12.
County board member Steve Carlson, who leads the panel's health committee, called the effort wonderful.
"It's a small amount of money in the big scheme of things," said Carlson, a Gurnee Republican. "There's nobody who deserves it more than the people this will benefit."
A McHenry County veterans group is set to receive a similar grant, Peck said.
In addition to the dental grant, Peck is seeking money from the state for vision and hearing programs.