NEW MEXICO (KRQE) -- In honor of Veterans Day, the American Dental Association (ADA) Foundation's "Give Vets a Smile" is partnering with dentists from New Mexico to help brighten the smiles of more than 60 veterans in need of critical dental care. Officials said a lot of veterans are not eligible for dental coverage through Veterans Affairs, so initiatives like this try to close the gap, providing our service men and women essential services. Dentists stressed that oral health is key to overall well-being. "I love working with veterans, and I also love the patients that I saw here today. Being able to help them, it's something we can do more than just drilling and filling teeth. [It] is being able to help change their lives and be able to bring them to better health," said dentist Kee-Ju Hong. The ADA said this is a yearly event, and if a vet couldn't make it this time, they can attend next year.