“The TRICARE Dental Program provides a way for National Guard and Reserve members to meet and maintain their dental requirements prior to being called to active duty,” said Navy Cmdr. Robert Mitton, deputy director, Dental Care Division, TRICARE Management Activity.  “We want to protect our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines from dental emergencies, especially in times when they are deployed and in harm's way.”

At the individual level, oral health is a major player in overall health.  When service members maintain their oral health, they enhance their mental and physical well-being in many ways, improving their self-esteem and minimizing their risk of dental emergencies.  The DoD readiness requirement helps the National Guard and Reserve member reduce their risk of dental problems before and during deployment.

National Guard and Reserve members, with at least 12 months remaining on their service commitment, and their families are eligible for the TRICARE Dental Program.  If the enrolled sponsor is activated, he or she becomes eligible for dental treatment in military dental treatment facilities and is automatically disenrolled from the TRICARE Dental Program.  In addition, family members benefit from reduced monthly premiums while their sponsor is on active duty. Family member enrollment does not depend on the sponsor being enrolled; family members may enroll in the TRICARE Dental Program at any time.

For more information, beneficiaries may access the TRICARE Dental Program online at www.TRICAREdentalprogram.com, or call toll-free 1-800-866-8499, 24 hours a day, Monday through Friday.  Members residing outside the United States should dial their country code followed by 888-418-0466 (toll-free).  Beneficiaries may also access the TRICARE Web site at www.tricare.osd.mil which displays the TRICARE Dental Program Fact Sheet as well as other dental related fact sheets. 

To link directly to this news release go to www.tricare.osd.mil/news/news.aspx?fid=201

About TRICARE

TRICARE, the Department of Defense agency that administers the health care plan for the Uniformed Services, retirees and their families, serves more than 9.2 million beneficiaries worldwide.

Note to editors:  If you are interested in viewing additional information on the TRICARE Dental program, please review the media fast facts at www.tricare.osd.mil/media/media_fastfact.cfm or visit the Web site at www.tricare.osd.mil.  Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed.  For additional assistance, journalists may contact TRICARE Management Activity’s Communication Division at media@tma.osd.mil or visit www.tricare.osd.mil/media/contact_us.cfm.