“Restore a Hero’s Smile” in Faces: Roman Shevchuk, Kyiv

Roman Shevchuk is a maxillofacial surgeon, assistant, and postgraduate at the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery and Surgical Dentistry at the National Medical University named after O.O. Bohomolets, as well as a combat veteran.

Roman, how did your professional journey with helping military personnel begin?

In 2014, right after graduating from the Ukrainian Military Medical Academy, I joined the 79th Airborne Brigade. At that time, military medicine was limited, so all medics acted as general practitioners. My first hands-on experience in practical dentistry was at the Zaporizhzhia Military Hospital, where I headed the dental office. Because Zaporizhzhia was close to the ATO zone, we often received soldiers with light to moderate injuries and infections, including during medical evacuation missions. I also participated in mobile medical evacuation teams.

In 2016, I was assigned to the 61st Field Military Hospital on the Mariupol front, leading a mobile dental unit. I was discharged from service in 2017. Since 2020, I’ve been an assistant at the university department and work at the Dental Medical Center at NMU Bohomolets, where I encountered the full-scale invasion.

When did you first connect with Dental Help UA?

The Dental Medical Center at NMU Bohomolets unites dentists of all specialties and serves as a clinical base for students. Here, military personnel receive free dental care, including implant placement. We collaborate with the University Hospital and Kyiv Regional Clinical Hospital, where maxillofacial surgeons perform remarkable reconstructive work.
During patient rehabilitation, we use high-quality Straumann implants, which are otherwise very costly. Before partnering with Dental Help UA, we managed this process independently or with external help, which was often unpredictable. In February 2023, I learned about Dental Help UA during a masterclass in Lviv.
The greatest value in our collaboration is centralized, transparent assistance: we receive top-tier implants in the quantities and timelines needed. Through the foundation, we give military personnel a chance to adapt to civilian life—eat freely, communicate confidently, and regain social confidence. We also actively share information about the program at conferences and symposia because this initiative is unique.

You are also engaged in research related to dental rehabilitation of military personnel. Can you elaborate?

Daily dental rehabilitation of military patients has scientific and practical significance. Nowhere else in the world are there such intensive military injuries as in Ukraine. Compared to the ATO period, when there were far fewer gunshot injuries. Today we see these cases daily. Teeth in soldiers often become chronic infection sites, which worsen under harsh conditions (cold, wet trenches, lack of hygiene). Implant integration is more challenging for various reasons. This issue became the focus of my scientific research.

How do you exchange experience with international colleagues?

There are currently no similar cases anywhere in the world. Currently, Ukraine is the only country facing such intense combat with various weapons. Colleagues from the USA, Canada, and Europe regularly operate on Ukrainian soldiers in Lviv and Kyiv. This allows for immense knowledge exchange: international specialists implement advanced techniques, such as microvascular surgery for vascular defect replacement, and gain insights into what works practically. Ukrainian doctors, in turn, gain priceless hands-on experience with gunshot maxillofacial injuries. This synergy benefits our soldiers directly, providing world-class treatment and rehabilitation while advancing global dental surgical knowledge.