Dental Secondary To Eating Disorder

[Navy4life]

Hi there! Hope all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Here is background.....I am service connected for Anorexia Nervosa and in November I fainted/passed out and hit my head/face/mouth on the concrete pavement. I was taken to the VA ER and treated for my issues dealing with my eating disorder. When I fell I injured my mouth pretty good! I damaged my two front teeth and because of this I now have endured $4,500 in dental bills to repair my teeth.

I tried at first to get a consult with dental but the Chief Dental Officer stated I had to be 100% S/C for it. So I took the route and went to see my dentist and a root canal specialist. Both dentist know of my eating disorder and are willing to fill out DBQ's on my behalf. They have read all my medical background and the most recent ER visit linking my teeth damage to my eating disorder.

Questions:

1) Should both dentist fill out a DBQ?

2) Should I submit my bills for reimbursement? Or will I not get reimbursed?

3) If I do get service connected would they reimburse me or just service connect me?

4) Should I do an FDC since this is pretty much "cut and dry"?

Any other suggestions, recommendations or comments? I would really appreciate it!

[john999]

I think you could get reimbursed once you prove via medical evidence that your eating disorder is the factor that made you pass out and bust your teeth. You need a medical doctor who treats you anorexia to say this I think. Have you had fainting spells before? Once you get the opinion from your doctor that it was the anorexia that caused you to fall then I think you can get the rest service connected and reimbursed. You know you have to connect all the dots yourself via the medical evidence. Example: You are SC for eating disorder. Due to eating disorder your blood pressure dropped and you fainted. Because you fainted due to anorexia you smacked your face. Your injuries are due, therefore, to your SC condition. If there is such a thing as "fainting disorder" you want to get that SC'ed because it is likely to happen again. Have you been to "Slip and Falls" clinic? I went because due to my feet and medications I take I have fallen in the past. They did some tests on me and found I had abnormal gait. Anyway, you just have to prove all the factors of your tooth damage are service connected as secondary to anorexia. I think I would put in a claim at Fee Base for the dental damage. I did it while waiting for TDIU. I spent money on my teeth. I got reimbursed. I used claim for unauthorized expense. This is what fee base told me to do.

John

[Navy4life]

I am seeing a therapist for my eating disorder but she was not a witness to my fall. Yes I have fallen many many times in the past and is noted in my SMR which is why I got S/C for my eating disorder and other issues.

I went the ER VA so the notes are well documented in the file that I fainted due to my eating disorder. I am getting both dentists to fill out DBQ's for me as well.

I plan to file a FDC for this and I would like to know if I am S/C secondary for my teeth how do I get reimbursed for the $4,500 I put out to fix my teeth? Do I submit that request with my FDC?

Thanks!

[Navy04]

Navy, sorry to hear of your issues, as my wife dealt with this issue when she was a teenager, and I try to be as supportive as possible. I would like to know this too, as I am going to have all my teeth removed over the next 2 years, as my Crohn's disease has eroded all the enamel (I am only 32 years old). I am wondering too, how to file for this as my Crohns is SC. God Bless, good luck and keep us posted.

[Navy4life]

Nav04

UPDATE - I have submitted my claim for my teeth as of February 2015.....I did an FDC claim and submitted 2 DBQ's (one from my regular dentist & one from the specialist dentist) and in addition I submitted the ER notes the day I fell and damaged my teeth. I hop they will S/C my teeth secondary to my eating disorder....I should have submitted an IMO/IME as well but did not think of it....

According to the reg's I should be s/c 0% which is good enough for me and hope to get reimbursed for my out of pocket expenses