Veterans & Oral Health: How Tennessee Heroes Can Access Essential Dental Care

For many veterans, oral health often takes a backseat to other priorities, but it plays a crucial role in overall well-being. Understanding your options can help you protect your health, confidence, and smile.

Why oral health matters for veterans

Military service places unique demands on the body, including oral health. Studies show veterans are about 60% more likely to experience tooth decay and are nearly twice as likely to report gum disease as civilians. Poor oral health can affect everything from nutrition to heart health and increases the risk of diabetes-related complications, a common issue for veterans.

Poor oral health can affect everything from nutrition and speech to heart health, and increases the risk of diabetes-related complications—a common issue for veterans.

A national survey by AIDPH and CareQuest found that among veterans:

• 44 % had pain or discomfort in the past year but did not see a dentist.

• Only 17 % of veterans knew they qualified for dental care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) dental benefit system.

​Older age, tobacco use, chronic disease, and limited access to care mean veterans frequently report “fair” or “poor” oral health and often struggle with pain and difficulty eating. Mental health challenges may further complicate dental health needs. That’s why it’s so important to understand what resources are available to help. The survey found 29% of veterans rated their dental health as “poor,” compared to 10.3% who rated their overall health as “poor.”​

VA eligibility and the dental care gap

The VA Dental Benefits for Veterans Fact Sheet describes dental eligibility criteria and has information to help Veterans understand their benefits. Unfortunately, most veterans don’t qualify for full dental care through the VA, only about 15% meet eligibility requirements. VA dental benefits mostly cover veterans with a 100% service-connected disability or service-connected dental issues. This means the majority need to look outside the VA system for affordable dental care.​

Because of limited eligibility, many veterans end up in emergency rooms for dental pain, about 6% of veterans visited an emergency department for dental pain in the past year, compared with  about 4 % for non-veterans. The cost of one dental-related ED visit averages  around $1,520, adding up to billions in avoidable costs, and preventable pain.

Tennessee resources for veterans’ dental health

Here’s how veterans living in Tennessee can take action and access quality dental care:

• Each year, South College Nashville and regional partners offer free dental services to veterans and active-duty military, especially around Veterans Day, including cleanings and follow-up care at no cost. You can find information on the 2025 dental clinic here.

• The Everyone for Veterans program provides free comprehensive care and urgent dental services to low-income veterans and their spouses statewide.

• View our updated directory of free, low-cost and sliding-fee dental clinics located across the state of Tennessee.

Making the Most of Your Smile

Oral health is vital to quality of life. Proactive dental care and preventive checkups keep teeth and gums strong, support overall health, and prevent costly problems down the road. Delta Dental of Tennessee is proud to stand by those who served, and to make sure Tennessee veterans have flexible, affordable options for every stage of life.​