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Dr. Joan Laura (left) and dental assistant Nicole Seib work to extract a tooth for a veteran at the Eastwood Dental Office in Syracuse on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2014. The dentist provided free dental care for veterans on Veterans Day. The veteran asked not to be identified.
(Antoinette Siu)
On a day when businesses offered veterans free meals, drinks and car washes on Veterans Day, Dr. Joan Laura gave out free dental services.
Starting at 7 a.m., the Eastwood Dental Office on 2326 James St. opened its doors to offer veterans a choice of free services: extractions, fillings or cleanings.
With all four rooms occupied and two assistants helping, Laura treated 71 veterans. The response to the free dental work offer was so overwhelming the office had to stop taking appointments at about 3 p.m.
It got busy to the point that Laura says she had to help out with cleanings.
Three years ago when Laura decided to provide free services on Veterans Day, she saw seven people. Last year, 23 veterans came.
On Monday, Syracuse.com reported on her free services and Laura appeared on Ted and Amy on 93Q . Laura did interviews with Channel 9 and SU students Tuesday morning between seeing patients.
Laura said local coverage, PR and word-of-mouth brought in the good turnout this year.
Some people even came by to drop off donations for the veterans at her office.
"I plan on doing this until I retire," Laura said. "No question at all. I will do it every year. I have no intention of stopping."
By 3:30 p.m., the waiting room of 13 seats was full, sending some to wait by the reception area and out front. A chocolate cake and Dr. Phil's TV show occupied waiting patients.
Bernard Linney, 65, signed up at 9:30 a.m. and got his cleaning around 3:45 p.m. He served in the Vietnam War from 1969 to 1971.
Linney heard about the free services from a nurse at the VA Medical Center. A lot of veterans don't have insurance or know they can qualify for services, Linney said.
Though he missed free breakfast at Friendly's, Linney said he planned to stop by a few restaurants for complimentary meals like he did last year on Veterans Day.
"It's nice to have a decent meal," Linney said.
Born and raised in Syracuse, Laura graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo and has been at her current practice for 25 years. The building has been a dental office since the 1950s, she said.
Laura's grandfather, Anthony E. Ross, was a World War I veteran, and her father, John E. Laura, was a Korean War veteran who was also a dentist. Their photos hang in the waiting room.
"I think it's important that we support the country, and we support the veterans." Laura said. "It is an honor and a privilege for me to be doing this today."