HEALTHCAREVA program
VA Dental Care
Any needed dental care for veterans with a compensable service-connected dental condition, a 100% service-connected rating (or unemployability paid at the 100% rate), or former POW status. VR&E participants get the dental care their program needs, and some recently discharged veterans get one-time care.
Any needed care at a 100% rating, unemployability paid at 100%, a compensable dental condition, or former POW status; other VA dental classes get limited care
Step-by-step guide
Who the dental classes cover
- A dental class VA assignsAny needed dental care: a compensable service-connected dental condition (Class I), a former prisoner of war (Class IIC), or service-connected disabilities rated 100 percent or paid at the 100 percent rate for unemployability (Class IV). A temporary 100 percent rating does not count for Class IV.
- Enrolled in VA health careVA.gov says to apply for VA health care before going to a VA dental clinic. A veteran already enrolled does not reapply.
Source: 38 CFR 17.161 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: VA dental care (opens in new tab); VA Form 10-10EZ (opens in new tab)
Which kind of dental care is this?
- Ongoing dental care for a dental class
VA places each veteran in a dental class, and the class sets the dental care VA provides. Some classes cover any needed dental care; others cover only care tied to a condition or a program.
Source: 38 CFR 17.161 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: VA dental care (opens in new tab); VA Form 10-10EZ (opens in new tab)
- One-time dental care after discharge (Class II)
A dental condition that existed at discharge can get a one-time correction. The application has a firm 180-day window.
- Applied within 180 days of dischargeThe application for dental care reaches VA within 180 days after discharge or release, under conditions other than dishonorable. The service was at least 90 days of active duty during the Persian Gulf War, or at least 180 days in another period. Service made up only of training duty does not count. After a discharge upgrade, the 180 days run from the correction date.
- No dental exam certified on the DD214The DD214 does not certify that a full dental exam, with X-rays, and all needed dental treatment were done in the 90 days before discharge. VA then does its dental exam within six months of discharge, unless the delay is on its side.
Source: 38 CFR 17.161(b) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 17.162 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: VA dental care (opens in new tab)
What to gather, and what it shows VA
| Document | What it shows | How VA gets it | Have it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| DD214 Your certificate of release or discharge. It includes a box where the service certifies whether a dental exam and needed dental treatment were done before discharge. | The discharge date and whether dental care was certified | You keep a copy. Bring it to the VA dental clinic for a Class II request. | Yes |
| VA rating decision or dental trauma rating The VA decision that rated your service-connected conditions, or a Dental Trauma Rating (VA Form 10-564-D) or regional office rating letter (VA Form 10-7131) naming trauma-rated teeth. | A service-connected dental condition or a 100 percent rating | VA holds these. Veterans can download decision letters and a benefit summary letter on VA.gov. | Yes |
| VA health care application VA Form 10-10EZ, the application for VA health care. | Enrollment in VA health care | Apply to VA online, by phone, by mail, or in person at a VA medical center. | |
| VA dental exam The exam a VA dentist does to see what care is needed and whether a condition dates from service. | A dental condition that existed at discharge | VA schedules it after you apply. For Class II, it is done within six months of discharge unless VA caused the delay. |
VA dental staff decide the dental class from VA records and your discharge papers. BeneVets does not ask for copies of them.
Steps, in order
- Get free help from a VSO
Free help: an accredited VSO can file this with you. Find one near you in the BeneVets VSO directory at Find an accredited VSO near you.
Source: VA.gov: accredited representatives (opens in new tab)
- Recently discharged? Mind the 180 days
For one-time Class II care, the application must reach VA within 180 days after discharge. Apply early so the VA dental exam can happen within six months.
Source: 38 CFR 17.161(b) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: VA dental care (opens in new tab)
- Enroll in VA health care
Apply for VA health care with VA Form 10-10EZ, online, by phone, by mail, or in person. If you are already enrolled, skip this step.
Source: VA Form 10-10EZ (opens in new tab); VA.gov: how to apply for VA health care (opens in new tab); VA.gov: VA dental care (opens in new tab)
- Ask a VA dental clinic for your dental class
Contact your nearest VA dental clinic, found through the VA.gov facility locator, and ask which dental class applies. Bring your DD214 and any rating decision.
Source: VA.gov: VA dental care (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 17.161 (opens in new tab)
- Outside the classes, look at VADIP
If no dental class covers the care you need, VADIP sells dental insurance at a reduced cost to veterans enrolled in VA health care and to people in CHAMPVA.
Source: VA.gov: VA dental care (opens in new tab); VA.gov: VA Dental Insurance Program (VADIP) (opens in new tab)
Good to know
Other classes cover narrower care: dental conditions from combat wounds or service trauma (Class IIA), a one-time course for veterans in VA homeless programs (Class IIB), dental problems making a service-connected condition worse (Class III), care needed for a Veteran Readiness and Employment program (Class V), and dental problems complicating a condition VA is treating (Class VI).
Source: 38 CFR 17.161 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: VA dental care (opens in new tab)
Veterans enrolled in VA health care, and people in CHAMPVA, can buy dental insurance at a reduced cost through the VA Dental Insurance Program (VADIP). It covers people outside the dental classes too.
Source: VA.gov: VA dental care (opens in new tab); VA.gov: VA Dental Insurance Program (VADIP) (opens in new tab)
Class I needs a compensable service-connected dental rating, and Class IIA uses a trauma rating. Getting a dental condition rated is a disability compensation claim.
Source: 38 CFR 17.161 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: VA dental care (opens in new tab)
BeneVets is informational and is not an accredited representative. Free help: an accredited VSO can work through VA benefits with you at no cost. Find an accredited VSO near you
Sources checked October 1, 2026: 38 CFR 17.161 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 17.161(b) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 17.162 (opens in new tab), VA.gov: accredited representatives (opens in new tab), VA.gov: download VA benefit letters (opens in new tab), VA.gov: VA dental care (opens in new tab), VA.gov: VA Dental Insurance Program (VADIP) (opens in new tab), VA.gov: how to apply for VA health care (opens in new tab), VA Form 10-10EZ (opens in new tab)