VA dental care is a service that is not provided to the vast majority of veterans including veterans that are of low income. An overview of the VA dental program and different classes of care is here. This is in contrast with conventional VA medical care or mental health. Veterans who do receive dental care may sometimes receive comprehensive free care, some may receive certain kinds of dental treatment, and there is also a VA dental insurance program for veterans and some survivors and/or dependents. A veteran’s claim for service connection for a dental condition is automatically a claim for VA outpatient dental care.
Though dental related disabilities that are compensable at least at the 10% level receive full and comprehensive dental care. This may include conditions problems such as periodontal disease, mandibular disorders, or bruxism that could be secondarily related to some other service-connected condition. Other veterans who totally disabled at 100%, receive TDIU, or veterans who were prisoners of war also receive this comprehensive dental care. There are also many instances where veterans may be eligible for more limited dental services if they have a non-compensable dental condition that occurred due to combat or direct trauma can receive care for that particular dental condition. If a dental condition is found to be aggravating a different service-connected condition, they may get dental care to resolve this problem. Though on the aggravation question this issue must be resolved based on a professional assessment.
It’s important to understand there are differences in what dental conditions may be compensable for disability and the ones that are covered for dental care. 38 C.F.R. 4.150. One common example is loss of teeth that could be compensable if there is loss of actual bone structure, the maxilla or mandible (jaw), through trauma or disease. Id. However, the loss of teeth through periodontal disease is not compensable. Id. A non-compensable condition that is also service related usually would be entitled to dental services for that condition. 38 C.F.R. 3.381.
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