As one of the 85 percent of veterans ineligible for dental care through the Department Of Veterans Affairs, I’m especially worried as I work through a dental crisis.

I rinse my mouth several times a day, and I spend over 10 minutes on many of those same days looking in my mouth and checking myself for symptoms like fever and swelling around my mouth.

This is because many of the veterans who can’t get dental care will get a tooth abscess. This is an infection caused by dental problems that can make us very sick and potentially kill us.

You see, while the pain is the minute to minute struggle of veterans not having access to dental care, infection is the long term damage that gets done. The infection can get into our bloodstream and spread throughout our body.

I’m also a football fan. And I remember the death of ex NFL receiver Mike Williams, who actually died of a tooth abscess when the infection spread to his brain.

It’s a tragedy because Williams made a lot of people happy when he played the game of football. But it’s a tragedy when veterans get sick from lack of dental care. Really, its a tragedy when it happens to anyone.

This is because in 2025, we shouldn’t have suffering due to dental care.

It’s important that we work to solve the lack of dental care for veterans. And to find real solutions that can make sure our brothers and sisters get access to the care they’ve earned.

I’ll continue to try to find solutions for my problems. It’s too dangerous not too.

Let’s all try to help our veterans find access to dental care.