Dental Care

This page includes events, directories, and information about dental care options for service members, veterans, and their families.

Dental Care Options in Massachusetts

The r/VeteransBenefits subreddit’s Knowledge Base was created by veterans helping veterans help themselves. The wiki covers just about anything veterans need to understand and access VA benefits, including VA Dental Benefits outlined below. Veterans without dental coverage may be able to access care through low- and no-cost clinics.

  • Veterans who are rated as 100% service-connected, who have a compensable service-connected dental disability, or who meet other requirements are eligible to receive VA Dental Care from the VA, including through the VA Community Care Network.

  • Whether or not veterans are eligible for free VA dental care, the VA also offers the VA Dental Insurance Program with discounted private dental insurance for VA-enrolled veterans and their families, as well as spouses and dependent children of service members and veterans enrolled in CHAMPVA.

    • VADIP plans are offered through Delta Dental and MetLife.

    • After selecting a plan, eligible beneficiaries can enroll online through the plan’s website.

  • Dental coverage through TRICARE is also separate from medical coverage and your plan depends on who you are and whether you are on active duty.

    • Service members on active duty (including Guard and Reserves activated for more than 30 days in a row) are covered by active duty dental benefits.

    • Families of active duty service members and Guard and Reserves not activated can enroll in the TRICARE Dental Program at any time.

    • Retired service members, families, and survivors may be eligible for FEDVIP Dental.

    • Survivors may also be covered by the TRICARE Dental Program Survivor Benefit.

    • Adult children enrolled in TRICARE Young Adult are not eligible for dental benefits.

Other dental insurance options and resources for accessing dental and hygiene clinics that provide reduced cost oral health care are also available in Massachusetts. 

American Institute of Dental Public Health

AIDPH serves as a platform for creative programming that centers health equity as a cornerstone of oral health education and training, helping organizations implement innovative and strategic approaches to education and scientific programming. Veterans are one of the four core communities AIDPH works with and advocates for.

In 2021, AIDPH and CareQuest Institute for Oral Health surveyed over 2,000 veterans about their oral health and found:

  • 34 percent of veterans in Massachusetts reported not seeing a dentist within the prior year

  • 17 percent reported not visiting a dentist within 5 years.

You can find data from the survey and explore data on access to care, along with key indicators (heart disease, diabetes, dental visits, and tooth loss) for veterans’ oral health on AIDPH’s Data Dashboard. Among all states, Massachusetts had the second highest percent odds for each indicator when compared to non-veterans in the state as of 2018. A veteran in Massachusetts is:

  • 268 percent more likely to have heart disease;

  • 181 percent more likely to have lost all their teeth;

  • 96 percent more likely to have diabetes; and

  • 66 percent more likely to go more than 5 years without a dental visit.

AIDPH’s Massachusetts State Profile below also offers a snapshot of Massachusetts veterans’ oral health and how it compares to veterans nationally.