Penn Dental Medicine Serving Those Who Served

Through a variety of programs and partnerships, Penn Dental Medicine is committed to providing dental care to Veterans.

Philadelphia — As a Chief Warrant Officer in the United States Navy, Ed Nixon served his country in Iraq and Afghanistan on multiple deployments over more than six years. A member of the Construction Battalion—a so-called Seabee—he was tasked with helping set up bases in conflict zones. Unfortunately, his service and life took a turn when he was injured in an IED attack. Nixon was prescribed OxyContin for the pain, and from there, as he tells it, things spiraled.

“I became an addict, using pills to cope with the trauma,” recalls Nixon, who moved back to Philadelphia after being medically retired. Five years clean and sober, Nixon now devotes much of his time to helping other Vets overcome PTSD and addictions. While his life is back on track, years of neglect and poor maintenance had taken a heavy toll on his oral health.

Fortunately, Nixon found his way to Penn Dental Medicine, where he is undergoing a comprehensive treatment plan to improve his dentition.

“Helping Vets get the care they need is vital,” says Dr. Sean Meehan, Penn Dental Medicine’s Chief Dental Officer and Assistant Dean in the Office of Clinical Affairs, “It can be a challenge since dental work is only covered by the Veterans Administration if a Vet is 100% disabled or has a service-connected oral disability.”

Nixon did not qualify under that standard, but Karen Flaherty-Oxler, Director of the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Philadelphia (herself a retired Navy Rear Admiral) reached out to Meehan to discuss other options, knowing that he had developed a partnership with Everyone for Veterans, a nonprofit that refers Vets to community dentists and dental schools for free dental care.

Optimistic that Nixon could be a good candidate for assistance through that program, Meehan quickly set the wheels in motion to expedite his qualification and referral to Penn Dental Medicine.

“I’m a champion for this because I want to see Veterans taken care of,” says Meehan, himself a retired Navy Captain. “The psychological repercussions of warfare can lead folks down a path where they have economic problems, health problems, dental problems. If we can help Ed and other Veterans who have fallen on tough times go out into the world with a nice set of teeth, we’re making a positive impact.”

Beyond its partnership with Everyone for Veterans, the School also recently established the Penn Dental Medicine Veterans Dental Care Fund (support the Fund here). Created in 2023 through a $100,000 gift from a Penn Dental Medicine alumnus and his wife, the fund helps cover the costs of dental care treatment for Veterans depending on their treatment plan needs and financial limitations.

The School also holds an annual Veterans New Patient Fair every November (close to Veterans’ Day) that provides free oral health screenings and x-rays to Veterans and encourages them to make Penn Dental Medicine their home for ongoing dental care with a discount of at least 20%.

For Nixon’s care at Penn Dental Medicine, he was assigned to a team of Navy Veterans. Directly providing his care was fourth-year dental student Cam Casenhiser, a Navy Health Professions Scholarship Program recipient who is currently an Ensign and will be promoted to Lieutenant upon graduation, while Dr. Vincent Mayher, Assistant Professor of Clinical Restorative Dentistry and a former Lieutenant Commander in the Navy, was the supervising faculty member.

“We try to have Navy people and military people involved whenever possible,” says Meehan. “If a provider can connect with a vulnerable patient, I think that sets them at ease. We share jokes and talk about stuff that I don’t think a lot of people around us understand. It’s a culture, really, with its own lingo. When Ed and I talk, it’s like ‘Hey shipmate!’”

For Nixon, being treated by fellow Veterans has been “just wonderful,” he says. “There’s a lot of respect there because they have an idea of what I’ve been through—and I know Cam is going to make a fantastic officer.”