Everyone for Veterans: Helping Heroes
Quick Bites:
Everyone for Veterans (E4V) was founded by Issaquah’s Dr. Theresa Cheng, who was inspired by a local veteran returning home from the war in Iraq. In 2008, she decided to pay forward her dental expertise and provide free dental care to several combat veterans and their spouses at her private practice.
- Less than 15% of veterans enrolled in the Veterans Administration (VA) health care system qualify for dental benefits. Veterans must be designated with a 100% disability rating, be former POWs, or have service-related dental conditions to be eligible for VA dental care.
- The initial response to Dr. Cheng’s dental care event for veterans was overwhelming and indicative of their care needs. By 2017, Cheng filed the paperwork to create E4V, a nonprofit organization that now provides comprehensive dental care, resources, and support to veterans and their spouses in 38 states.
- In 2021, she received the American Dental Association Humanitarian of the Year Award for her creation of the nonprofit and support of veterans and their families.
- To date, Everyone for Veterans has provided more than $2 million in care to over 1,500 veterans and spouses.
- To learn more about E4V, visit www.everyoneforveterans.org.
It started with just one Washington state dentist, inspired by one local veteran.
In 2008, Issaquah periodontist Theresa Cheng was reading an article in the local paper about a vet gravely injured in an IED blast in Iraq and his mother, who served as his caregiver. She assumed the young man was receiving dental care as a US veteran.
It was only after she reached out to his mom that she learned that like most veterans, he did not receive VA dental benefits.
The realization inspired Cheng to provide free dental care to family members caring for veterans returning from combat. Little did she then know the impact this act would have on veterans both here and around the US.
By 2017, Cheng had founded the nonprofit Everyone for Veterans (E4V) with the goal of expanding comprehensive care to low-income veterans and those returning from war zones.
Word traveled fast about the organization and how it was connecting dentists with service veterans and their spouses. Soon, Cheng was contacted by a vet in Michigan about starting a similar program there.
Eight years later, the small nonprofit Cheng once operated out of her home and office is now coast-to-coast. Everyone for Veterans boasts a network of over 500 dentists, plus six accredited dental schools, serving spouses of qualified veterans in 38 states.
Although she has since retired, Cheng remains engaged with the operation. She recently passed the torch as outgoing board president. Three years ago, she hired Jessica Elwell as the nonprofit’s first executive director.
“It was never a goal to scale this as a national organization,” said Elwell.
But that’s exactly what happened.
A Catalyst for Connection
Most people assume the Veterans Administration (VA) is taking care of veterans’ oral health care, said Elwell.
When she dug into it, Cheng discovered that less than 15% of vets get care from the VA, said Elwell.
“That’s when she realized there was a gap.”
About 82% (roughly 7.4 million) of veterans enrolled in the VA health care system are ineligible for VA dental benefits. To qualify for dental services, veterans must either have a dental issue that is service-connected or qualify based on narrow criteria.
To date, the organization has served more than 1,500 individuals and provided over $2 million in care – $504,000 in 2024 alone.
“2024 was an incredible year for us,” said Elwell.
Another impressive stat: their level of volunteer engagement, at almost 2,000 volunteer hours.
“It’s mindboggling to have that much engagement,” she added.
Connecting veterans with local dentists who provide comprehensive dental care is vital to E4V’s mission. Finding dentists willing to share their talents and expertise is at the heart of what Everyone for Veterans is all about.
“I often refer to us as a catalyst for community connection. When a vet comes to us in need, we reach out to the community to help them,” said Elwell. “We’re that constant liaison between the two spheres. We want it to go smoothly and be positive for everyone involved,” she said.
On average, E4V logs about 350 volunteer hours a month. As of this writing, the organization had 359 active dental partners and over 700 all-time volunteers.
“We tend to view it as a ‘more the merrier opportunity’,” said Elwell. “We have a waitlist of over 200 vets and spouses waiting for care. Any time a dentist comes to us, it’s a lifechanging opportunity. If they want to give back, we will find a way for them to be involved.”
Among the volunteers: dentists who are themselves veterans. “Serving your ‘battle buddies’ is a huge thing in the vet community,” added Elwell. “A lot of our dentists are veterans as well.”
E4V doesn’t put a lot of requirements on the program – they ask dentists to see just one veteran a year. Volunteering to help is as simple as visiting their website (www.everyoneforveterans.org) and clicking on the GET INVOLVED tab.
Their partnerships with dental schools have also helped the program grow tremendously. The very first dental school in the program? The University of Washington School of Dentistry (UWSOD).
“The UWSOD was the first school in Washington state to become a dental partner and they have done an incredible job of supporting veterans and spouses in King County,” noted Elwell.
There are now four formal partnerships – the UWSOD, University of Iowa, University of Pennsylvania, and the University of the Pacific in San Francisco – and two more that are coming onboard.
Supporting Heros Here at Home
In addition to providing oral health care for veterans, E4V also provides care for spouses of military vets.
Because of the highly mobile nature of military service, spouses frequently relocate and may not always be able to work or have gaps in their employment – and that impacts health benefits. As a result, military spouses may also experience challenges with their own medical and dental care.
“Unfortunately, military spouses are a very overlooked group despite making tremendous personal sacrifices,” said Elwell. “We look at veterans as heroes – spouses are heroes here at home. We want to recognize them and their work in keeping veterans strong.”
E4V does not include care for children of military veterans, who are largely covered by Medicaid and other state programs, like Washington’s Apple Health.
Elwell says dental care is the “tip of the iceberg” in terms of veterans’ needs. To address these other areas, E4V offers a resource program and referrals, linking veterans with community partners in their area for help with housing, mental health and nutrition. This past year, their holiday program distributed gifts and holiday cheer to over 20 families nationally, including 60 children.
A Legacy of Service
In 2021, the American Dental Association recognized the good works of Dr. Cheng with one of its highest honors, the ADA Humanitarian of the Year Award.
Speaking to her achievements, Lourdes E. Alvarado-Ramos, then-director of the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, praised Cheng for her collaborative efforts in founding E4V and its impact on military veterans.
“Dr. Cheng’s legacy is about service and results,” said Alvarado-Ramos. “It’s about putting together people, corporations, and having them all work together with one purpose and one direction, and that is to be able to improve the quality of life of our veterans and their families.”
Elwell, herself the child of two military veterans, says the organization’s impact is much greater than providing veterans and their spouses with oral health care and a long-term dental home – though that is a significant benefit.
“So often we think of dentistry as a smile – restoring smiles,” said Elwell. “That makes the impact smaller than it really is. In reality, it’s about so much more. This is about opening doors to employment, improving family relationships, and restoring confidence. We have vets come to us with chronic pain they’ve been experiencing for years. Think about how much your oral health impacts you in terms of how you eat, what you do, how you feel – your irritability. It’s something so many of us take for granted because we have access to care,” she said.
“I love this program for that reason. It’s more than smiles, it’s changing lives. I just love it.”
Hero Profile: E4V Veteran + Dentist
Robert & Dr. Pham
Robert is a Navy veteran who served as an Aviation Ordinanceman during Operation Enduring Freedom.
He was assigned to Mukilteo dentist Dr. Nhi Pham for his dental care. During the pandemic shutdowns, his treatment was delayed; they were recently able to reconnect for additional treatment. Dr. Pham was excited to reunite with Robert after several months.
“Reunited today with Robert, one of my favorite E4V veterans. I gave him an updated tour of all the new things at MDC and he gave me updates on his sweet kids. You’ve really created something amazing through E4V and I am thankful for the healing it’s provided for my own heart.”
Hero Profile: E4V Veteran + Dentist
Lin & Dr. Yeh
Lin is a Vietnam Navy veteran who served as a machinist mate. He had been unable to see a dentist for several years due to financial constraints. When he came to the program he was living with multiple loose teeth, constant pain, and infection that impacted all aspects of his life.
Lin was assigned Dr. Michael Yeh, a prosthodontist from Federal Way. Yeh extracted several teeth, provided bone grafts, and 10 dental implants with crowns.
Lin says that his dental journey with Dr. Yeh and his team was amazing and has made a huge difference in his life. Chronic pain and infection kept Lin from the hobbies that he enjoyed and the activities that positively impacted his physical and mental well-being. Now that he is pain-free he can get back to his favorite pastime: playing golf.
“I’m more comfortable all the way around, and the infections in my mouth are gone,” he said. “I can’t thank E4V enough for connecting me with Dr. Yeh and his team. Everyone involved was wonderful.”
ADA Launches Give Veterans a Smile
In October 2024, the ADA launched Give Veterans a Smile, a new partnership with E4V and similar nonprofits around the county designed to help call attention to the unmet oral health needs of veterans. The program encourages dentists to provide pro bono oral health care services to veterans in need during the month of November, and then offer to serve as their dental home or refer them to a dental facility that could become their dental home.
E4V Executive Director Jessica Elwell said the project is modeled after the ADA’s successful “Give Kids a Smile” program and relies on partnerships with groups like E4V to make connections between dentists and area vets. Elwell participated in the early planning process with the ADA, identifying gaps in care and brainstorming how the dental community can support veterans in need of these services.
“When a dentist wants to provide support to veterans, they can reach out to us. We will work with veteran service organizations and veterans’ centers to see them in that office locally,” said Elwell.
“Most people assume the VA is taking care of dental needs for all veterans. People can’t help if they don’t know there’s a need,” she said. “It’s great to have the ADA’s help in bridging that gap.”
To learn more about Give Veterans a Smile, visit adafoundation.org/give-veterans-a-smile.
This article originally appeared in Issue 1, 2025 of the WSDA News.
