Hometown Hero: Dr. Deryck Pham of Brickworks Dental

 

Hometown Hero: Dr. Deryck Pham of Brickworks Dental

By Maddy Vitale

MAYS LANDING – Brickworks Dental Dr. Deryck Pham, a Navy veteran, wanted to give back to local veterans who have served the country the best way he knew how: to give them free dental care as part of Veterans Smile Day.

On Saturday, Nov. 4, Pham and other dentists and dental care specialists will provide free dental care from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to more than 110 veterans at Brickworks Dental, 5429 Harding Highway.

Pham, 40, said the event is in its sixth year and continues to grow.

A benefit held Saturday, Oct. 14, to benefit Veterans Smile Day was held at Clancy’s By The Bay in Somers Point. It was a huge success.

“The benefit went great. We raised $10,000 and a few hundred people came out,” Pham said Friday, Oct. 20. “Each year it is getting a little bit bigger.”

The Veterans Smile Day mission is to provide free dental care and support to military veterans as a small way of thanking them for their service. The hope is that in the process the veterans will find permanent dentists for themselves and their families.

Pham was in the Navy for three years, and served as a U.S. Navy dentist deployed to Iraq with the Marines. He saw firsthand what was occurring to the physical and mental health of members of the military.

When Pham got out of the Navy in 2007, he knew he wanted to give back to the veterans.

“I knew veterans didn’t get the dental care they needed,” Pham said. “Less than one percent of veterans receive dental insurance.”

Pham said that is one of the misconceptions about veterans’ benefits. Many veterans do not receive full health care benefits upon returning from active duty.

The first Veterans Smile Day was held in 2012. Now it is a nationwide event. The 2012 event at Brickworks Dental helped 35 veterans receive dental care for everything from a routine treatment to extractions, and even root canals, according to the website veteranssmileday.org.

Pham was so inspired that he reached out to dentists to participate in the event. He contacted a classmate from USC School of Dentistry, Dr. Karin Irani, who is active at the American Dental Association. Thanks to her help, Veterans Smile Day became a national event with corporate sponsors, including Henry Schein and Proctor & Gamble. Several dental societies participated, and there are hundreds of volunteers helping many veterans. The number of dental offices participating has grown from 10 to 75 across the country. But it still isn’t enough, Pham said.

He hopes the Smile Day event will continue to grow and serve the needs of the many uninsured veterans who could benefit from dental care.

“The number of volunteers is not high when you think of the number of veterans who may need free dental care,” he said. “That is why we are still trying to actively recruit.”

The most important reason dentists should provide free dental care to veterans is an easy one, Pham said.

“It is a way to say thank you to the men and women who help make this country great. The veterans are an underserved community,” he said. “Most people don’t realize veterans don’t get to go to the dentist. Most veterans don’t get medical care, either.”  

For more information, visit veteranssmileday.org or call Brickworks Dental at 609-625-0505.

If you know of a person who would make a good Hometown Hero email shorelocalnews@gmail.com.

 

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