Volunteers from University of the Pacific’s Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry and School of Health Sciences recently provided free dental, hearing and health screenings to more than 60 local military veterans during two special community service events held in San Francisco and Sacramento.

San Francisco

At the Dugoni School’s San Francisco Campus, more than 20 student, faculty and staff volunteers organized free dental screenings, oral health information, blood pressure checks, blood glucose tests and radiology services for nearly 40 veterans.

The Department of Audiology at Pacific’s School of Health Sciences also organized free hearing screenings at the on-campus Hearing and Balance Center. Students from the Student Community Outreach for Public Education (SCOPE) program and volunteers from the University’s Pre-Dental Club on the Stockton Campus also contributed to the event’s success. 

Marine Corps veteran Billy Seabolt drove from San Jose after learning about the event from the CSU East Bay Veterans Resource Office. Without access to dental coverage through the Veterans Health Administration, he said the experience offered a valuable opportunity.

“As you can tell, I have dental issues and hopefully I can get implants,” Seabolt said. “Everybody’s been professional and very helpful. I’m looking forward to a follow-up.”

U.S. Army veteran Jeff Armijo of San Francisco shared his appreciation for the care he received and the information he learned about his oral hygiene and hearing health.

“Everyone was very professional from check-in to check-out—super kind,” Armijo said. “I learned great, valuable information from my hearing and dental exams.”

He also expressed gratitude to Swords to Plowshares, a local veterans advocacy organization, for alerting him to the event.

Sacramento

For the first time, a Give Veterans a Smile event was held at Pacific’s Sacramento Campus, hosted at the Pacific Health Care Collaborative clinic in Oak Park.

Twenty-two veterans received dental screenings and consultations from Dugoni School students and faculty. Volunteers from Pacific’s School of Health Sciences provided additional services, including free cognitive and motor screenings by occupational therapists, nutrition assessments, vitamin deficiency screenings, and blood pressure and glucose testing. Attendees also received health goodie bags and information from local community partners serving veterans.

Two Dugoni School students shared their motivation for participating in this year’s events.

“My grandpa was a veteran of the Army and while working at my dad’s office in Hawaii, he had patients who were veterans from the Army and Navy bases nearby,” said Hailey Sonson, DDS Class of 2027. “It is interesting to hear their stories,” she said about the veterans she met at the event. “It was a cool experience to see their grateful attitude about what we can help them with and they are just really thankful.”

“It was my first time leading a student volunteer event,” said Junho Koo, DDS Class of 2027. “I signed up because I did my military service in South Korea. This was a great opportunity to meet veterans from the United States. I wanted to help by giving back to the veteran community. People who come here as veterans or prospective patients really appreciate our work.”

Ongoing Support for Veterans

The Dugoni School is committed to serving veterans throughout the year and offers a 20% discount at its San Francisco location on dental care to military veterans without dental insurance. To learn about how to become a patient, visit the San Francisco Main Clinic website or call 415.929.6501.

In 2024, the Dugoni School expanded is resources for veterans thanks to the generosity of donors who established the Ralph & Teresa Yanello Endowment for Veteran Support. Funds from the endowment help veterans in need complete their dental treatment plans.

Community members interested in making a philanthropic gift to support patient care are invited to contact Eric Dumbleton, associate dean of advancement, at edumbleton@pacific.edu or 415.929.6422.