Question reguarding braces & how to qualify for them

[Jarnhamar]

Is there any recourse for a CF member who wants to get braces but was told that the CF considered it cosmetic?  The member is in pain and it effects their eating habits at times and has said it's getting worse.  Could they seek a second opinion or something from a CF dental doctor?

 

[Armymedic]

Yes, go to dental and see, it is thier department.

In Petawawa, there are high price help who may be able to do something.

 

[Jarnhamar]

The member did and was told that their case was reviewed and not supported.  Sending them back to start the process all over again (in this case it looks like it took 6 months for an email to be answered) seems like a bit of a run around but if that's the only option I guess it's better than nothing.

 

[Nudibranch]

Since adult teeth are usually in their place by the time a mbr joins the CAF, their reasoning might be that if the dental configuration causes the mbr issues, this was a pre-existing issue. The mbr put up with it before joining CAF.

Not a dentist, just my guess. Unless there was recent dental/jaw trauma, tooth configuration generally doesn't start causing issues in an adult out of the blue.

 

[George Wallace]

Did the 'member' properly make their request; justifying their request with a list of their oral problems?  A simple request for braces may be rejected, while a request that includes the complaint of pain/discomfort affecting their quality of life may have more validity.

As Nudibranch points out, without some justification, the 'member' will be fighting a losing battle.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Did the 'member' properly make their request; justifying their request with a list of their oral problems?  A simple request for braces may be rejected, while a request that includes the complaint of pain/discomfort affecting their quality of life may have more validity.

As Nudibranch points out, without some justification, the 'member' will be fighting a losing battle.

Yes they went went to sick parade and noted their issues/problems etc.. and didn't just show up and say hey I'd like braces please. A civilian dentist said it sounded like they needed braces.

 

[Bzzliteyr]

In the past 5 years I have been dealing with a cracked tooth, multiple attempts to fix it and a final decision to do two root canals.

They were done in June of last year.  I just had my dental for the year yesterday and I still have pain.  The dentist asked me how long I have left in the forces as to get permission to do the next step (extraction of the teeth and implants) would take quite a while as they have to suggest the investment is worth it.

Maybe the member suggested he was releasing or said something during the consult?


(as a side note, I'm not sure what having larger breasts will do for my teeth but I'm not a dentist)

 

[Nudibranch]

A civilian dentist said it sounded like they needed braces.

You'd be shocked what some civilian providers think our mbrs "need", sometimes. I'm quite familiar with the med side, not so much Dental, but I do know that Dental has developed a very strict process for some of the procedures it offers precisely for this reason. It's also the reason that only a military provider (or DND contractor working in one of our clinics) can put a mbr on sick leave, no matter what the civi provider says

For your friend, it depends how high the request has gone. Since you wrote "reviewed and not supported", it sounds like it wasn't just the one DO's decision but that maybe someone higher looked at the chart? It if was looked at higher, going to a different DO for a 2nd opinion isn't likely to work, unless the clinical situation changes.
Some requests on the med side automatically have to go higher for review/approval; I have no idea if that applies to Dental, or to braces in a situation like this.