Dental Care Services for Our Veterans: Honored to Play Our Part

Dental Care Services for Our Veterans: Honored to Play Our Part

Jun 01, 2021

Veterans have done so much for our country. However, it’s a challenge for most of our veterans to find their footing when they come back home. Statistics show that close to 1.5 million veterans in America are living in poverty. This means that most of them will have an uphill task sustaining themselves and their loved ones. Let’s not even think about how they can find quality oral and overall health care.

Finding a budget under such strenuous conditions can be a daunting task. That’s why it isn’t surprising that we haven’t seen many veterans visit our dentist over the past six months or so.

We cannot also ignore the fact that oral health is fundamental to your overall well being. Poor oral health can affect your endocrine health, heart, and overall systemic health. Let us not even go to the aesthetics since poor oral health is linked to lower self-esteem and can even affect employment opportunities.

However, at The Sanger Dentist, we have come bearing good news. We are now registered as an in-network community healthcare provider for veterans under the VA network. This will allow our veterans in our community to enjoy quality dental care that would otherwise be out of their reach.

Fulfilling Our Country’s Duty to Our Veterans

It is our honor and joy to give our veterans quality care just to improve their quality of life. As a practice, we are humbled to serve as third part care provider for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Community Care programs to ensure that you receive the care you need.

Over 200 dental clinics across the country have partnered to help serve our veterans in this capacity, and we are proud to be among them.

Why Do Veterans Need Special Dental Care?

Some might argue that dental care is not that essential to a veteran. However, a veteran is at a higher risk of developing dental issues and complications than civilians. Military duty demands a lot from a soldier. Sadly, the soldiers’ struggle with dental issues doesn’t end when they have been discharged.

The effects of bad habits coupled with poor oral hygiene will linger for years to come. Some of the causes of oral issues among veterans may include:

  • Trauma

PTSD and mental illnesses are issues that plague many veterans. In some scenarios, these issues lead to addictions that can be detrimental to their oral health and overall health.

  • Age-Related Issues

Other than military service, veterans can get oral issues that are associated with aging. Some things that make them vulnerable to specific dental problems may include medications, physical issues, and mental disorders.

  • Chronic Illnesses

Chemicals used by soldiers and the difficult conditions they are exposed to can lead to chronic diseases and cancer that impact their dental health.

  • Physical Injuries

On any given day, a soldier is exposed to different dangers. Tooth loss and jaw fracture are prevalent amongst veterans since they can be subjected to falls, explosions, and orofacial injuries.

What to Expect With the Dental Coverage for Veterans Via the VA Health Program

With the VA health program, veterans can access quality care in our facility. However, you will need to be eligible. Some may access any dental service, while others may not have access to all of the services.

You may need to check your eligibility at the VA web page. If you are eligible and are not enrolled, you can apply for dental health care.

How Can a Veteran Register for VA Dental Healthcare?

As mentioned earlier, most veterans struggle to land on their feet whenever they come back home. So, if you need to take advantage of the VA health benefits, you can do the following:

  1. Sign in to your VA account and save your application
  2. Have your social security number, a copy of your discharge papers, your recent tax return, your financial information, and account numbers for the health insurance that you have currently
  3. Lastly, fill out the healthcare application

You can expect your claim to be ready within a week. If this is not the case, reach out to VA before you resubmit your application.

The Takeaway

Your oral health cannot be ignored if you are to live a healthy life. With VA healthcare benefits, our veterans and their loved ones can access the oral care they need. Contact our dentist at The Sanger Dentist for more information.

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