Awwwww SHIT!!

[Thumper]

Dang it, when it rains, it pours! Had a check-up with my dentist this morning (my old fishing buddy) and got some bad news. I have a wisdom tooth that's shoved against the tooth in front of it ... they're so close together, floss won't even get between them. Of course, now, BOTH teeth have a cavity right where they touch. He's gonna have to pull the wisdom tooth before he can even tell if the other tooth can be filled. I may need a root canal or crown ... he won't know 'til the wisdom tooth is yanked out'ta there.

Dang it! Why do I envision a coupl'a grand going down the drain next week?

[LW]

Im asking this purely out of ignorance but does the VA do dental care?

[BarryBobPosthole]

I straightened my boat motor skeg out with a rubber mallet even though Captain said it couldn't be done. I can do the same for your wisdom teeth (that's an oxymoron if ever there was one) for a small nominal fee.

BKB

[Thumper]

Ha! I guess it would be cheaper that way P-hole ... at least at first.

Yep, I remember when I was a young lad in the military, the Army dentist told me I should have all my wisdom teeth pulled. He said they were coming in facing forward and would hit the teeth in front and end up shoving everything forward and crowding the front teeth which would throw everything out of line. I had no "problem" ... it was just one of those "preventative maintenance" type thingies. For some reason, I could never walk around on a nice sunny day and think to myself .... "Self, I think this would be a fine day to stop by the dentist and have FOUR FRIGGING TEETH YANKED OUT"! Needless to say, I never had it done while I was young and the work would have been FREE! I still have all my wisdom teeth ... well, I will 'til next Tuesday anyway.

LW ... only military retirees (or combat disabled/discharged vets) get free dental care. 'Course I was told the same thing about eye care, but I have an annual eye exam and get a couple pairs of new glasses every year. I have no clue why, because the way I've always understood it, eye care and dental care were threated the same way. About 10 years ago I joked with my Primary Care Physician about my "old man" eyesight and she made an appointment with the Optometrist for me. I went in for a check-up, they made me a pair of reading glasses and some "driving" glasses and I've been repeating the process every year since ... all on the military's dime. So who knows? Maybe I should call my doc and have her make me an appointment!

[LW]

I would show up at the pcp with a toothache and see what happens.

[Thumper]

Man-o-man, being an ex-James Bond type sure makes things difficult. I just got off the phone with a lady in the VA Eligibility Dept. and am as confused as I ever was. She pulled my file and said, yeah sure, you're covered 'cause you were in Vietnam and the VA has you listed as "totally and permanently disabled". I asked, "You mean there's a record of my being in 'Nam?" She comes back with, "I see you have a Vietnam Campaign Medal as well as a Vietnam Service Medal, so you were there!"

I come back with, "Ma'am, ummmm ... my records should state I was in Thailand for 3+ years." She comes back with, "You were in Vietnam!" I countered with, "To my knowledge there is no OFFICIAL record of my being in Vietnam ... OR Laos ... OR Cambodia ... OR Burma ... just Thailand". She says, "No, you were in Vietnam!" I have no clue where she's getting that info because it doesn't exist on paper. I also had a medal from Cambodia, but it was taken away from me and the record was expunged from my DD214. My C.O. gave the reason as, "Son, we weren't IN Cambodia." (wink, wink) At least I still have the letter I received from the (U.S.) Cambodian Ambassador thanking me for being a hero and saving a bunch of mucky-muck's asses ... as well as our unit commander thanking me for earning the whole post a unit citation, but that's all I gots.

Anyway, she's sending me some paperwork of some sort. I have no clue where this is going, but what the heck? Prob. is, I'm scheduled to have this work done next Tuesday. I'd hate to tell my buddy to jump in a lake 'cause I'm goin' elsewhere ... then find out it ain't gonna happen. Oh well, I'll see how fast the mail gets here and make a decision after reading whatever it is they're sending my way.

[Big Boy]

Given your relationship I'm sure he'd understand your situation. Heck he might even offer to do the work for whatever the VA will charge - or not.