00:00Braving the bombs, Ukraine's so-called dental battalion.
00:06Once a month, these men make the long trip from Kiev to frontline cities in a van they've
00:11converted into a mobile dental clinic.
00:16Soldiers 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.
00:28They provide vital service, getting a toothache at the front can mean the difference between
00:33life and death.
00:36When 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
00:49on your work.
00:52The next morning, they receive their first patients.
00:56Even though they are trained to use deadly weapons, the soldiers are still nervous about
01:01the 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.
01:25And 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.
01:40The 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
01:52treated 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.
02:12Charitable 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.
02:39I am good at dentistry.
02:43So that's how I help the military and address their problems.
02:52Vlad and his team will be on the road for five days.
02:55They leave this military base and head for the next frontline city, where a different
03:01unit is already waiting for them.
03:09For more UN videos visit www.un.org
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