Disabled American Veterans is backing congressional legislation that would greatly expand former service members’ access to dental care.
Jon Retzer, DAV national legislative director, testified for House Resolution 210 before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs on May 20, 2026. Rep. Julia Brownley (D-California), a committee member, introduced the Dental Care for Veterans Act earlier this year.
The bill proposes increasing the eligibility for Department of Veterans Affairs dental services to all those enrolled in VA health care. That eligibility would be phased in over four years.
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“Oral health is an essential component of comprehensive medical care and should not be treated as an optional or secondary benefit for veterans, particularly those with service-connected disabilities,” Retzer said in his statement before the committee.
“Veterans whose disabilities were incurred in service should not be denied medically necessary dental care due to outdated statutory limitations that no longer reflect modern health care standards or the realities of veterans’ medical needs.”
Who Is Currently Eligible?
Under the current system, the VA limits eligibility for dental care to:
- Veterans with a service-connected disability rated at 100%;
- Veterans with a service-connected dental condition;
- Former prisoners of war;
- Homeless veterans;
- If an oral-health issue aggravates a service-connected condition or complicates treatment of that condition.
Retzer cited VA data claiming that 9 million veterans receive health benefits. Only about 2.4 million meet the current criteria for dental benefits, he said. That’s barely more than a quarter of the total number of former service members covered.
The reality is even bleaker, Brownley said in a news release in February. At that time, her office reported that only 534,000 VA enrollees actually have their dental care covered.
Retzer told the House Committee on Veterans Affairs the need to improve vets’ dental benefits is urgent.
“Left unaddressed, these [oral health] conditions can cause irreversible damage, chronic pain and systemic health complications that undermine overall health and quality of life,” Retzer said.
A Proposal to Increase Funding
VA dental resources are already stretched very thin, Retzer said. He informed committee members about a report that DAV—a congressionally chartered nonprofit—and the Veterans of Foreign Wars compiled for Fiscal Year 2027. In it, the two groups recommended an additional $675 million in funding to support VA-provided dental care.
“We propose that VA use that funding to hire additional dental providers and expand dental treatment space in VA facilities, while also supporting expanded community care access as VA increases its internal capacity,” Retzer testified.
FY 2027 for the federal government will begin on October 1, 2026.
