Dental Implants

[grent]

IF A VET IS 100% P AND T SCHEDULER WILL VA OUTPATIENT DENTAL PAY FOR DENTAL IMPLANTS.

HAS ANYONE HAD THIS SERVICE PROVIDED TO THEM??

[retiredat44]

I don't have any teeth, they had to be removed, or what was left of pieces of chards of enamel , when my teeth leted and cut my mouth into bloody flesh,, and had to have the remains all removed at one time.. since the va refused emergency surgery (intestinal disease runied my teeth ) a dental school took out all the rest in one horrible operation.. That was about 10 years ago.. if/when I get the full 100% P&T I might consider implants, but I probably am at too great of rish from complications due to severe pancreas disease, and any infection, any operation might kill me,, my false teeth do not fit but maybe they false teeth could be refinished to fit my mouth..

or, since I am so sick I might just never have teeth ever again..

Edited April 14, 2012 by retiredat44

[JON]

John,

I allready have a 4 tooth bridge there (42 years old), the post or anchor teeth have had root canals. The young VA dentist took one look and said it would almost be impossible to make a larger (longer) bridge and she wasn't sure if they could make a removable appliance (partial) to fit. She couldn't even get the bridge off to examine and and said the xray shows the post(anchor) tooth may be broken at the gum line. She said I could go to a private dentist and get bone graft and implants done at my expense, but no VA. Also she sais I'd be walking around with no front teeth until they decide what to do. Maybe they can build some kind of temporary she added.

I slays me that in Az through the Las Vegas VA dental fee base I got my last 8 bottom teeth crowned, but can't get the front ones fixed properly here. Spokane dental rants and raves about dental care and keeping teeth, but he hem around at fixing time. Go figure. Thanks for the input.

Jon

[Cavman]

I am 100% and been going to VA dental since 2009. I am a stage 4 cancer survivor and it was in the right tonsil and nodes. I did receive strong radiation and lost much of my saliva glands and taste. The VA has left me presently with 1 full molar, 2 teeth grinded to toothpick size holding on a cemented bridge that has 2 teeth broken off it on each side, 1 tooth broken at the gum line with a steel rod also broken off that was helping bridge in, another tooth broken at gum line and one tooth that was grinded down to also help support bridge with a massive gob of buildup around it so it doesn`t cut my tongue. A catastrophe! I am left with some bottom teeth broken at gum line also and teeth extremely loose that root canals were done with them wiggly to the touch.

My dentist said he could do nothing more for me and didn`t know what to do. I went to a university prosthedontics professor and he has no issue doing complete implants on the top and 3 crowns with a partial on the bottom. Implants would be snap in and out ones. They are cheaper. Complete price with extractions and surgery of teeth VA broke off at gum line is around $15,000, which is cheapest around because it is dental school price and will be done by a student overseen by professor.

The VA absolutely says they won`t do the implants or pay for it with fee basis. They have the money according to my dentist and he stated vets much less than me with problems have gotten fee basis. Their reason.....My jaw will get infected and have to be removed due to radiation I took. That is the reason they say they won`t pay.

I`m borrowing the money and getting it done. Any suggestions or comments as to what I could do?

[meghp0405]

the Louisville VA dental folks will not do it here. They say it's an cosmetic issue and they don't do anything cosmetic...

[Chuck75]

Implants? Ha! the area VAMC is known for having veteran's teeth pulled, and thus forcing false teeth.

Why? I don't know!

Maybe it's cheaper for the VA, less hassle for the VA dentists, or "somebody" has an interest in the company that supplies the false teeth.

[john999]

jon

If it is front teeth I would make an appointment with a psychiatrist and say you are socially isolated because you think everyone is looking at you and judging you because you are missing your front teeth. My VAMC guards dental care like it was FT Knox and the care is crummy. There are so many vets walking around with chronic infections of the gums which could cause heart disease I am told. It is just the money factor. I talked to one of my VA dentists and he believed that even poor people should be responsible for their own dental work. Here is a guy living off the government just like vets but he has the money for good dental care and no sympathy for those who don't. People can't even pay rent or mortgage so they ignore their teeth or have some disease that takes them.