Longview, WA -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/09/2015 -- Eight local dental offices are seeking the help of their communities to nominate a deserving veteran in each office to receive up to $3,000 toward their full treatment plan. Smiles Dental is once again honoring local veterans with the gift of good dental health and a great smile. One of last year's honorees was Kristopher North, an active member of the Longview, WA community, and veteran of the Army National Guard.

"I just want to say Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone at Smiles Dental Longview for everything you have done for me.... Because of you, I now have a complete smile once again. This has truly been life changing for me. Bless each and every one of you." –Kristopher North from Smiles Dental Longview's Facebook Page

"There is a huge need for veterans in our community and in our country to receive quality care, especially when it comes to their oral health. Our team recognized this need and decided to provide this gift and change a Veteran's life for the better," explains Dr. Ken Killpack of Smiles Dental Ridgefield, WA.

Dr. Sean Lee of Smiles Dental Hollywood District in NE Portland, OR, echoes that sentiment, "Doing this for a veteran is the least we can do for the time they spent serving us. It is our privilege to give back to our Veterans."

According to the United States Department of Veteran Affairs , as of September 30, 2014 there were 936,000 veterans in Washington State and Oregon. Of these, approximately 223,483 (about 25.5%) unique patients received healthcare at a VA health care facility. The Center for Disease Control shows the number of American adults in 2013, ages 18-64, with a dental visit in the past year was approximately 62%. The same study by the CDC shows around 20% of American adults have no usual source of healthcare and that 11% did not receive needed dental care due to cost.

The Smiles Dental offices invite all community members to nominate a veteran and will then randomly select one winner from each office to receive up to a $3,000 gift towards their treatment plan. There are eight Smiles Dental locations participating in Smiles for Veterans: Longview, Ridgefield, Hazel Dell and East Vancouver in Washington and NE Portland, Hollywood District, Milwaukie and Riddle in Oregon. Nomination forms, rules, and guidelines are available in your local Smiles Dental offices and are also outlined on each location's website. The deadline to complete and submit each nomination is Wednesday, November 25 at 5:00pm and the winning nominee in each office will be randomly selected and announced on December 1, 2015.

Dr. Natanael Repta of Smiles Dental in Riddle, OR, summarizes why the company is giving this gift, "This honorarium is really a way for us [Smiles Dental] to recognize and thank the members of our communities who have served this country. We are happy and proud to give this gift to someone who truly deserves it."

About Smiles Dental
Smiles Dental is a privately held, locally focused, multi-location group practice in the Pacific Northwest. Based in Longview, Washington, Smiles was recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies in 2013, 2014, and 2015. Smiles has offices in Alaska, Oregon and Washington and continues to expand. The company's unique culture fosters top quality dentistry and a highly personalized patient experience that has resulted in Smiles being recognized as "Best Dentist" in local polls for several years in multiple locations. The Smiles mission is Ultimate Service, Superior Performance and Positive Impact – this mission permeates throughout the organization and results in patient experience excellence. To learn more, visit http://welovesmiles.com

For additional information contact Monique Tindall pressroom@welovesmiles.com