As my own dental situation continues to worsen, I keep looking for solutions. Of course one of those solutions is effective dental insurance.

And it’s not only for the apparent benefits of how dental insurance is supposed to work. A good plan can indeed save you money and a lot of heartache down the line. This includes the embarrassment of the intake interview with the dental assistant after they realize they’re treating an uninsured patient.

But the sad fact is that dental insurance doesn’t help of a lot of struggling veterans with advanced dental challenges.

This is because we need serious procedures. We need root canals. We need oral surgery. Many of our extractions are considered surgical procedures. And for those of us who have already lost a lot of teeth, implants are almost certainly out of reach.

Insurance is fine for preventative measures. Check ups. Exams. Cleanings. And a lot of plans usually cover fillings.

If you’re a veteran, and you’re still feeling the sting of being 85 percent of us who don’t get dental care from the Department Of Veterans Affairs, then you do have VADIP.

Unfortunately, in my experience the touted discounts aren’t apparent there. It’s still really expensive.

This post should not be a message against getting insurance. If by some chance you’re reading this and you’re not in pain then find a plan. Even in my dire situation, I’m going to try to find some coverage because I’ll probably need intensive dental care for the rest of my life.

But otherwise, we still have to find some solutions. There is no one coming to save us. We must find a way to ensure our bravest can have reasonable access to a dentist.