SPOTLIGHT: Dentistry4Vets

With so many veterans to serve, Dentsitry4Vets seeks to expand into a new space.

By Pam Marino

That veterans can get medical care through the Veterans Administration is well known. That the care they receive doesn’t include dental treatments, except in a few cases, is probably a surprise to most
people. On the Central Coast, that gap is being filled by Dentistry4Vets, founded in 2018 by Carmel residents Dr. George Yellich and his wife, Patricia Yellich.

The nonprofit was launched to provide quality dental care in a safe and caring environment to veterans who often have special needs. “Once they come into our clinic they are treated like family,” says Patricia
Yellich, who serves as Dentistry4Vets’ executive director.

With only about 4.5 percent of veterans qualified for dental care through the VA, that leaves most of the 35,000 veterans living on the Central Coast, from San Luis Obispo to Santa Cruz, without care, Yellich says. The group expects to help more than 2,400 veterans and their spouses with over 4,000 procedures in 2025, from routine care to dental implants.

That kind of volume means Dentistry4Vets has outgrown its original Marina office, an 850-square-foot clinic with two treatment rooms, originally donated by Montage Health. It was a good place to start, but now they’re looking to move into a larger space.

Yellich says they need the room to meet the increased demand, as well as to ensure the staff has the necessary tools and workspace. They currently have three experienced general dentists on staff, along with a team of licensed, registered dental assistants.

They’re looking to move into a much larger office in Ryan Ranch in Monterey, which will give them room to grow. The new space will have four treatment rooms with office space and a break room for staff. It will also provide better Americans with Disabilities Act access for patients—about 30 percent live with some type of mobility issue.

Something else she’s excited about is the inclusion of a suite for specialty care from dental specialists performing procedures like root canals and cancer screenings.

“It’s a big deal,” Yellich says, in part because it will allow veterans to get their services under one roof, instead of having to travel to other offices.