Dental Eligibility?

[mriguy]

Hello all,

posting this to get some input from this remarkably knowledgeable crowd! This is rather long so please bear with me. Got a recent rating of 20 percent for damage to facial nerve bilaterally, incurred during extensive upper and lower jaws (almost 13 hours in OR) at any rate, just missed 30% rating because damage was not deemed to be total paralysis of nerve. Severe, just not severe enough I guess. Had a 90-120 minute C&P exam with VAMC dentist during which he stated repeatedly that I would get at least 10%, probably more and dental out of the deal due to the severity of my symptoms. He listed a primary diagonsis code of 525.9 which is "unspecified disorder of the teeth and supporting structures" The conclusion of his medical opinion states: "Recommend at least 10%, and more is certainly not out of the question. At the very least veteran should be entitled to VA dental care"

Well, as I said, got 20%, for a total of 40. However, rating decision did not mention dental care.

Ran it by my local VSO, he said rater might not mention it (in the hopes veteran would not seek it dental care) but that the stated diagnosis code and language in C&P exam made it a slam dunk. I hope he is right, but wanted to seek input from this forum. Does any one have experience with this? How do I find out for sure? Call the dental clinic at Durham VAMC and tell 'em I want to make an appt? Also, I think the problem is pretty damned severe, should I consider seeking more?

Thanks in advance to all of you great folks out there who constantly help those of us who are

in need of solid advice.

Todd

[Meddac]

The dental eligibility rules have changed recently for the VA.

Here is a link to a .pdf page that outlines the new rules for who is eligible:

http://www.va.gov/healtheligibility/Librar...ntal/Dental.pdf

Hope this helps.

[john999]

The VA guards the eligibility for dental care very strictly. They check me and screen very closely when I even call to have my teeth cleaned. We really have a tiny dental unit at the Tampa VAMC for a huge catchment area. What is the big difference between dental and overall health. If you have infected gums you may also have heart problems. The VA knows this but still won't give every vet dental care. There is even literature that says vets with DMII who have gum disease are at higher risk of death and sickness. One thing the VA could do would be to become the world leader in preventative medical treatment. They could be the light on the hill for others and put pressure on private insurance companies.