Dental Program Gives Marine Veteran a New Smile

Lubbock surgeon Dr. Robert Ioppolo selected veteran John Gonzales to receive a free smile restoration through Smiles for Soldiers.

Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Military

Empty dental treatment chair beside a window overlooking a flat, dry landscape under open pale sky in soft daylight. — Dr. Robert Ioppolo of Lubbock selected Marine Corps veteran John Gonzales to receive a free smile restoration through Smiles for Soldiers, a program he created. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Dr. Robert Ioppolo selected John Gonzales, a Marine Corps veteran, to receive a free smile restoration through Smiles for Soldiers, a program Ioppolo created. Gonzales is scheduled to receive his new smile within the next few months.

Why it matters

Ioppolo created Smiles for Soldiers because veterans do not receive dental benefits through the VA except in limited cases. The program offers Lubbock-area veterans a path to dental care that existing benefits often do not provide.

VA dental access is limited to veterans rated 100% disabled, a threshold the program is designed to work around. Gonzales served 13 months in the Marine Corps after enlisting at age 23, and the source does not report how many recipients Smiles for Soldiers has selected to date.

The players

Dr. Robert Ioppolo

Dr. Robert Ioppolo is an oral and facial surgeon at Hill & Ioppolo Oral & Dental Implant Surgery of Lubbock, who created Smiles for Soldiers and is himself a veteran receiving care through the VA.

The details

Recipients are chosen based on medical, dental and military backgrounds, and faith is one main factor in selection. Gonzales was medically discharged after 13 months of service and moved to Texas in 1993, where he was later selected for the program.

Gonzales joined the Marine Corps at age 23 and was medically discharged after 13 months of service.
In 1993, Gonzales moved to Texas after leaving the Marine Corps.
Gonzales is scheduled to receive his new smile within the next few months.

Political Context

VA dental eligibility is restricted to veterans rated 100% disabled, leaving most former service members without covered dental care. Smiles for Soldiers operates outside that framework, drawing on private surgeons to fill the gap.

Veterans who are not rated 100% disabled generally cannot access VA dental care, so programs like Smiles for Soldiers may be their only option. Eligibility is based on medical, dental and military backgrounds, and faith is one main factor in selection.

The takeaway

Veterans facing dental needs outside VA eligibility rules may be able to apply to private programs like Smiles for Soldiers. Checking local dental providers that offer veteran outreach can help identify similar options.