ptsd Va Medical Coverage For Service Connection

[Roger Louis]

First my intent with this posting is to ask a question concerning medical or dental care so if I started the topic in the wrong place please tell me how to start in the correct place. Today I received a letter from the VA Regional Office that said they decided that I have a service connection of 0% for Temporomandibular Disorder (Claimed As bruxism) which is associated with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) . My rating remained at 40% where it was prior to this claim and the decision. Of course I will submit a Notice of Disagreement for the entire claim. However the goal of my claim was not to increase the percentage it was to attempt to gain dental care from the VA.

I am not sure that this decision provides for that care so if anyone has any suggestion I would welcome hearing them. This was a two part claim the first as mention was for Bruxism and the second was for Meniere's disease associated with sensorineural hearing loss. While I am rated at 0% for hearing loss and the VA has provided hearing aids the denied this portion of the claim stating the was not in my record to support the claim.

I did receive a C&P examination for Bruxism however a decision was made concerning the claim for Meniere's disease base on a review of my file apparently since I did not receive a C&P. Both issues show up in the Ebenefits report of the review by the examiner even though I did not receive a C&P examination for Meniere's. One point of interest is the during the examination and in the written report if was evident that the dentist did not think that Bruxism would result from PTSD. Apparently the Regional VA office thought otherwise to some degree.

I want to thank everyone for their service and support to this web site.

[john999]

I use the busiest VA hospital in the USA. The dental clinic is so small you can't get ten patients in there at a time. I am allowed one exam every two years. The regular old dentist do stuff that specialists do on the outside. If you are dirt poor and need all your teeth pulled and need some dentures the Tampa VA is the place to go. They cannot even do simple filings and crowns with out screwing them up and I have experienced this. They did a root canal on me. A couple of years later it had to be pulled and now I have to pay for an implant because I would not trust those geeks to do one. Now I pay a real dentist for mistakes the VA has made. How do I prove they messed up? I don't think I can prove It, but I know it. One exam every two years due to a shortage of dentists at the VA is not the normal standard of care. A dental patient should get an exam and x-rays once a year at least.

The VA is just not prepared to do dental for the masses of vets. They need to just pay vets a certain percentage of the cost and let them seek their own dentists. Some can't pay at all and maybe these are the ones the VA should treat for dental. I think the VA medical and dental is a expensive failure. Even the crummy eye clinic I once used at the VA I had to abandon because they would not even consider cataract surgery even though I was 20/800 out of one eye. I got it done on medicare and my insurance. This costs me $550 a month and I know I am getting a good deal via FEHP. This whole subject makes me angry because the government just sold the old Fort Homer Hesterly Armory for a community center when the congress critter had sworn to me it was going to be a VA clinic. Cheapskates and liars and incompetents is what the VA provides. World class medical care.....what a joke!

The VA in my area is where the poor go to die in a clean (maybe) bed.

[carlie]

Besides bruxism, a whole lot of damage to teeth is caused by the dry mouth people get from many different drugs.

I personally have a huge problem with dry mouth from medications and being

a mouth breather.

I wake up with my tongue like sandpaper and can not even swallow until I spray Oasis

in my throat and mouth - or drink alot of liquid, it feels like plain water does not absorb well

but something thicker like juice does.

My mouth remains very dry at all times, water used to help alot but does not do much

to help anymore. These days I do not even feel cold water in my mouth or throat.

My VAMC dental department provides me a product called "Oasis" for dry mouth.

It helps tremendously but I need more of it than they are able to provide, so I am going to try to

buy it.

There is another product for dry mouth called "Biotene", but it does not provide nearly the relief

(although temporary) as the Oasis does.

I just looked on line and I can buy the Oasis - I think I will try to get a couple of dozen bottles.

[Memory235]

the poor die in a clean bed maybe.... so, true. only reason I put with up with nonsense as long as I did was because I was dirt poor. now that I receive a SS and VA check I have Medicare and Medicaid . here in WV if you get a check you receive Medicaid. and Medicaid here isn't bad at all. most doctors take it here and if they don't I just use my Medicare. the only reason I go to VA is for treatment of PTSD as I am service connected for it. I got my teeth pulled by the VA and I had no issues afterward. I smoked same day no dry socket luckily.

[Vync]

I personally have a huge problem with dry mouth from medications and being

a mouth breather.

I wake up with my tongue like sandpaper and can not even swallow until I spray Oasis

in my throat and mouth - or drink alot of liquid, it feels like plain water does not absorb well

but something thicker like juice does.

My mouth remains very dry at all times, water used to help alot but does not do much

to help anymore. These days I do not even feel cold water in my mouth or throat.

My VAMC dental department provides me a product called "Oasis" for dry mouth.

It helps tremendously but I need more of it than they are able to provide, so I am going to try to

buy it.

Oasis.jpg

There is another product for dry mouth called "Biotene", but it does not provide nearly the relief

(although temporary) as the Oasis does.

I just looked on line and I can buy the Oasis - I think I will try to get a couple of dozen bottles.

Carlie,

That's good info. The dental hygienist told me to get a liquid called Closis. The VA didn't carry it and it was hard to find. It worked ok, but the local stores stopped carrying it. I am going to have to get me some Oasis before you buy them out.

[Roger Louis]

Since my last comments concerning bruxism it appears that then there are some positive results. First,I was rated at 0% service connected for bruxism as secondary to TMJ and PTSD. My current ratting is 40%. Today I received authorization to see an oral surgeon for care at a non VA facility at VA expense. Apparently while the is no schedule for a rating for Bruxism that when secondary to another ratable condition bruxism according to the BVA becomes part of that condition. Please excuse my lack of procedural and law knowledge regarding the VA I just wanted to post this to suggest that anyone with issues with PTSD and bruxism seek care and a ratting from the VA. There is confusion by the VA staff and various people who advise veterans concerning who can receive dental care or be rated as service connected as a result of the damage to your teeth resulting from bruxism. The dentist who provided the exam was insistent even before he started the examination that my case did not qualify since the damage to my teeth was not a direct result of combat. He reflected his opinions in the report, however I was still rated service connected for the condition. While there is the VA dental insurance program which is a step in the right direction care for service connected conditions remains a responsibility of the Veteran health care system even if it is dental. The problem as often is the case is convincing others inside and out side of the Veterans health care system the VA's responsibility. I have a ways to go with my issues however I want to thank everyone who has provided comments. For me it is important to hear the comments that are not so positive and along with those that are positive, the not so positive comments point out issues that need to addressed and have made me try harder.

[USN_HM_VSR]

I know its an old thread and I hope you got the issued resolved, but you do qualify for for full dental coverage through the VA. 0% SC for the jaw. Take your rating decision to eligibility so they can get a copy of it and forward it to records in order to update your profile in Vista CPRS. Have eligibility generate a dental consultation. After they do this go to the dental service and book an appointment.