00:00Braving the bombs. Ukraine's so-called dental battalion.
00:05Once a month, these men make the long trip from Kiev to front-line cities
00:10in a van they've converted into a mobile dental clinic.
00:15Soldiers get medical care when they are injured, but regular dental check-ups are rare.
00:22Vlad and his assistant Semen have brought everything they need.
00:27They provide vital service.
00:30Getting a toothache at the front can mean the difference between life and death.
00:35When we first started travelling, many military personnel were very pleased with our work,
00:40that we were alleviating acute pain and helping them resolve their dental problems.
00:45They say that when it hurts, you think about it all the time and you can't concentrate on your work.
00:52The next morning they receive their first patients.
00:56Even though they are trained to use deadly weapons,
00:59the soldiers are still nervous about the dentist's drill.
01:06This soldier hasn't been to the dentist in the two years since the war began.
01:11A few days ago the pain started and it's now unbearable.
01:15He's going to need root surgery.
01:19We are on the front line and sometimes we don't even have time to brush our teeth.
01:24And when you have a tooth that hurts, you can't focus on your target or combat mission.
01:30Let's say you are distracted from your combat mission.
01:38The service goes beyond dental care.
01:41The soldiers say it's nice to be treated as a human being with normal needs.
01:48Getting to a place where you can actually get anesthesia and have your teeth properly treated is really great.
01:56We don't have access to anesthesia and painkillers.
02:04The end of a long day.
02:06As the war with Russia drags on, more and more mobile services are needed.
02:12The terrible conditions make them possible and Vlad and his team volunteer their time.
02:19He knows he could soon be called up to fight too.
02:23But until then, Vlad sees this as his contribution.
02:29I want to do something for victory, to help the military somehow.
02:33I believe that everyone should do what they're good at.
02:37I am good at treating teeth, I am good at dentistry.
02:43So that's how I help the military and address their problems.
02:51Vlad and his team will be on the road for five days.
02:55They leave this military base and head for the next front line city, where a different unit is already waiting for them.
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