There are thousands of vets who every year question if the VA would pay for their dental care. As dental care is an essential service for veterans and their families, it’s crucial to understand who is eligible for VA benefits and how much they’ll have to pay out of pocket.
Vets like you can join the VA’s dentistry program in one of nine different ways. If you don’t meet any of these requirements, the VA may still be able to provide you with affordable, high-quality private dental insurance.
Who qualifies for VA dental coverage, which procedures are reimbursed, and how to access VA dental care are all addressed in this article for veterans. If you don’t meet the requirements, we’ll talk about some other choices you have.
Qualification for VA Dental Care
1. You Have a 100% Service-Connected Rating
When you have a 100% VA rating for service-connected disability, you are eligible for dental care via the VA. If you are paid at the 100% rate because you are unemployable owing to a condition related to your military service, you also qualify.
This concept is synonymous with that of “Total Disability, Individual Unemployment” (TDIU). All dental care is provided at no cost by the VA to veterans with a 100% VA or TDIU rating.
Temporary perfect scores don’t count (for example, if you are temporarily hospitalized).
2. You Have a Service-Connected VA Rating of 10% or Higher for a Dental Condition
All dental care provided by the VA is free of charge if you have a VA rating of 10% or above for a dental problem.
3. You’re a Former Prisoner of War
If you were a prisoner of war, you can get free dental care via the Veterans Administration.
4. You Request Dental Care Within 180 Days of Military Discharge
Veterans can get free dental care from the VA once if their DD-214 doesn’t demonstrate that they had an exam and treatment before they were released. To be eligible, your application must be submitted no later than 180 days after your discharge.
5. You Have a Combat-Related Service-Connected Dental Condition Rated at 0%
All required dental care for those with a service-connected ailment rating of 0% is provided by the VA at no cost to those who qualify. To qualify, your condition must have been brought on by active military service or conflict.
6. Your dental problems are making it harder to deal with your service-related illness
An individual is eligible for no-cost VA dental care for a specific dental issue if a VA dentist judges that the individual’s dental condition is having a detrimental impact on a service-connected condition.