Equipment partner
A Pac-Dent company providing 3D printing technology that helps us produce appliances quickly and precisely.
Shreveport, Louisiana · 501(c)(3) nonprofit
Live, Eat and Smile with Dignity.
We give veterans access to provisional dental appliances so they can live with dignity — bringing care directly to veterans homes across Louisiana.
6
Louisiana veterans homes in our current outreach
4
Neighboring states next: Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Arkansas
$0
Cost to the veteran
Upcoming visits
Where we'll be next
Facility staff: contact Frank to schedule a visit or add your home to the calendar.
Recent visits
Where we've been
What we do
Transitional dental appliances, delivered where veterans live.
Missing or failing teeth affect far more than appearance: they affect nutrition, comfort, confidence, and social connection. Restoring function and appearance helps veterans live fuller, healthier lives.
01
Transitional appliances
Interim partials and complete dentures that replace missing teeth and restore chewing function and appearance.
02
Delivered on site
Care comes to state and private veterans homes, so residents never have to travel.
03
A bridge to definitive care
Appliances serve veterans while permanent treatment is planned, or when it is not yet accessible.
Get involved
Three ways to stand with veterans
Refer a veteran
Know a veteran living without the teeth they need? Introduce us, or point us to their veterans home.
Make a referral →
Give time or materials
Dental professionals, lab technicians, and suppliers: your skills and in-kind donations go straight to patient care.
Offer support →
Donate
Every gift funds dental appliances for veterans at no cost to them. Louisiana Dental Outreach Foundation is a 501(c)(3).
Make a gift →
About us
A nation where every veteran can live, eat, and smile with dignity.
Our mission
Smiles for Vets is dedicated to ensuring that every veteran — regardless of income or location — has access to transitional dental care, because a healthy smile is fundamental to a life of dignity and wellness.
Two names, one organization
Louisiana Dental Outreach Foundation is the Louisiana nonprofit corporation and 501(c)(3) that runs the program. Smiles for Vets is the public-facing name under which the Foundation does its work with veterans.
Leadership
The people behind the program
The program
Care that comes to the veteran, not the other way around.
Smiles for Vets brings dental appliance services directly to veterans in community settings, including state and private veterans homes, rather than requiring residents to travel for care.
What is a transitional dental appliance?
A transitional (interim) dental appliance is a removable prosthesis — such as an interim partial or complete denture — that replaces missing teeth and restores chewing function and appearance. It can serve a veteran while definitive treatment is planned or completed, or bridge a gap when definitive care is not yet accessible.
Why veterans?
Dental health has a direct effect on a person's overall well-being, yet many veterans find dental care difficult to access. Smiles for Vets was created to help close that gap for those who have served our country.
Areas we serve
Louisiana veterans homes
Based in Shreveport, our current outreach is focused on veterans homes across Louisiana, and will expand to state veterans homes in Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Arkansas.
- Shreveport
- Bossier City
- North Monroe
- Jackson
- Reserve
- Jennings
For veterans homes & care facilities
Start with a conversation
We are glad to arrange a brief phone call, or an in-person visit to introduce the program to your administrator and care team and discuss how we can support your residents. If someone else on your staff is the right contact, simply point us out to them.
Contact Frank Frost →FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Get involved
Refer a veteran, partner with us, or give.
Refer a veteran who could benefit from the program, introduce us to a veterans home or community organization, or make a gift.
Make a gift
Every gift funds transitional dental appliances for veterans, at no cost to them. Louisiana Dental Outreach Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation (EIN 42-4332597); donors should consult their own tax advisor about the deductibility of a specific gift.
Donate online →Organizations can support us through
- Grants from foundations and dental philanthropy organizations
- In-kind donations of dental materials, equipment, and supplies
- Program partnerships with dental service networks
- Civic and service organizations, such as local Elks Lodges partnering through Elks National Veterans Service Commission Freedom Grants
✓
Thank you.
We've received your request and Frank will be in touch shortly.
Supporters
The partners who make every smile possible.
Materials, equipment, lab time, and funding from these organizations let us deliver appliances to veterans at no cost.
Program sponsors
Laboratory partner
A national network of dental laboratories, with a Shreveport, Louisiana location, supporting fabrication and technical expertise.
Scanning technology partner
Maker of intraoral and desktop 3D scanners and dental software used to capture precise digital impressions.
Supplies partner
A third-generation, family-owned dental distributor (est. 1944) providing materials and equipment for the program.
Our donors
Become a sponsor
Grants, in-kind dental materials, lab partnerships, and civic organizations are all welcome. Elks Lodges can lead a Freedom Grant application with Smiles for Vets as program partner.
Contact us
Let's talk about your residents.
Frank is the primary contact for partnerships, outreach, and general inquiries.
Frank C. Frost
President & Co-Executive Director · Louisiana Dental Outreach Foundation | Smiles for Vets
Phone317-250-8289
FacebookSmiles for Vets on Facebook
LocationShreveport, Louisiana
EIN42-4332597 · 501(c)(3)