Dental Practice Gives Free Surgeries to Three Veterans

The Sherbans' Smiles for Veterans program expanded this year from one recipient to three, with free oral surgeries provided at Johnson City's Regional Center for Dental Implants and Oral Surgery.

Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Philanthropy

Photograph of a clinical treatment chair beside a tall window, with a folded veterans' cap on a wooden table and green ridgelines visible outside. — Regional Center for Dental Implants and Oral Surgery in Johnson City, Tennessee, has awarded free surgeries to three veterans through the Sherbans' Smiles for Veterans program this year. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Regional Center for Dental Implants and Oral Surgery in Johnson City, Tenn., has awarded free oral surgeries to three veterans through the Smiles for Veterans program run by Matthew and Andrea Sherban. The program has provided free surgeries for four years and expanded from one recipient to three this year.

Why it matters

The program offers no-cost dental care to veterans who may face gaps in access to treatment, such as the recipient who broke a tooth on a cashew. It reflects the practice's stated goal of giving back to its community and to those who served.

The program has run for four years and expanded from one veteran recipient to three this year. The source does not disclose the total dollar value of the donated procedures or the number of applicants.

The players

Regional Center for Dental Implants and Oral Surgery

A dental practice in Johnson City, Tennessee, that provides implant and oral surgery services and hosts the Smiles for Veterans program.

Matthew Sherban

A Navy veteran and co-founder of the Smiles for Veterans program at the Johnson City dental practice.

The details

Matthew and Andrea Sherban select recipients from finalists through a personal decision. The recipients this year are Army veterans Doug Wilson and Derek Williams and Marine veteran Andrew Witt, who has been on VA medications for a seizure disorder and broke a tooth biting into a cashew in trail mix.

Over the past four years, the Sherbans have awarded free oral surgeries to veterans.
This year, the program expanded from one recipient to three.

Community Giving

The program fills a gap in dental coverage for veterans who receive VA medical care but may still face costs for oral surgery. Privately funded initiatives like this one supplement public health benefits for former service members.

Veterans in the Johnson City area who need oral surgery may be able to apply to the program, though the source does not describe an application process. The program currently serves three recipients per year.

The takeaway

Community-funded programs like Smiles for Veterans show how local practices can fill gaps in care for those who served. Readers interested in similar initiatives can look for philanthropy coverage in their own communities.