Members of the UNMC College of Dentistry, including faculty and staff, volunteered at the third annual Nebraska Veteran’s Mission of Mercy in Yutan, Nebraska, in September.
The 2025 event was held in the Army National Guard Titan Readiness Center at Camp Mead, and dental and dental hygiene faculty and students were on hand to provide dental care to Nebraska veterans and their spouses.
The college’s volunteer contingent included more than 30 dental students, 12 dental faculty, 16 fourth-year dental hygiene students, three dental hygiene faculty and several college staff members.
“It was an honor to take care of dental needs for our veterans and spouses who needed our help,” said James Jenkins, DDS, professor in the UNMC Department of Adult Restorative Dentistry. “I hope they felt appreciated for their service to our nation to protect the freedoms we all enjoy.
“It was a true team effort, and all the volunteers worked very hard and did a great job,” said Dr. Jenkins, who also has served as the clinical director for this event since 2023. “Among the volunteers were many UNMC College of Dentistry staff, faculty, administration and students. I know our volunteers were blessed by helping others as were the patients we treated. It was great to see the new smiles on many of the veterans we served.”
Todd Junge, assistant professor of dental hygiene, agreed with Dr. Jenkins.
“It was an honor to serve those who’ve served us,” he said. “The VETMOM event gave our students a powerful opportunity to provide compassionate dental care to veterans, many of whom haven’t had access to routine treatment in years. The gratitude we received was humbling, and the experience was deeply meaningful for everyone involved.”
Charles Craft, DDS, state dental health director with Nebraska DHHS, said preliminary numbers show that about 450 veteran/spouse patient visits were conducted, with over 2,500 dental services given – including approximately 100 dentures fabricated — during the event.
“More than 375 dental volunteers provided dental care valued in excess of $550,000,” Dr. Craft said.
Dr. Craft applauded the effectiveness of the 2025 event, pointing to improvements in many of the treatment sections.
“This success of this year’s program would not have been possible without volunteer support of the faculty and students from both of Nebraska’s dental colleges, as well as the private dentist and hygiene professionals who came to help from across the state.” Dr. Craft said. “The veterans and their families greatly appreciated the assistance these volunteers and military personnel provided.”