Community dentist made veterans smile at no charge

On Nov. 9, 22 retired veterans from Seal Beach, Leisure World, Los Alamitos, Cypress, Buena Park, Stanton, Newport Beach and Long Beach arrived for their appointments at Dr. Seza Barsamian’s dental office at 4022 Katella Ave., Suite 206, Los Alamitos, for free dental care.

For the 10th year, Barsamian dedicated her entire work day to veterans. Her office performed over $8,000 worth of dental work at no cost, including X-rays, comprehensive exams and dental cleaning. No veteran who had an appointment was turned away.

Some of them have been coming to this event for the past 10 years and some were new patients, including a couple of them who haven’t had a dental cleaning in over 20 years. Dr. Barsamian’s office has performed over a 100 dental cleanings for veterans over the last 10 years.

“Retired veterans have limited access to dental care through Veterans Affairs. This was the only opportunity for some to have their mouth checked and their teeth cleaned. Only about 8% of veterans enrolled in the VA healthcare system qualify for dental benefits through specific eligibility requirements, which leaves a significant number of veterans unable to afford quality dental care, which can lead to pain, periodontal disease and other health issues. Additionally, most diseases manifest orally before being detected systematically.

“We love our veterans, and when there is love, there is always optertunity to serve,” said Dr. Barsamian.

Dr. Seza Barsamian (third from the right) and her staff.

Dr. Barsamian's office staff provided dental service to 22 retired veterans on Nov.. 9.