A disabled Navy veteran says for the last six months, he's had a hole in his mouth that needs to be filled, but he's still waiting on the paperwork from the Veteran Affairs.
John Prevette said it started with a tooth he chipped back in 2017. After a few cosmetic procedures, the Jacksonville VA Outpatient Clinic referred Prevette to a dentist who could extract his tooth and put in an implant. Six months later, he's waiting on an implant to be put in.
Prevette said he's in a lot of pain and is barely able to eat hard foods. Our On Your Side team tried to find him some answers regarding the delay.
"It's just been an ongoing troublesome thing, and I know that I'm not the only one," he said, frustrated. "There was a promise, 'We will take care of you.'"
After 22 years of service in the Navy and a purple heart, he's a 100 percent disabled veteran who's eligible for dental benefits.
"I walked into the dentist's office, said I'm a veteran and I need a tooth extracted," Prevette recalled, "and before I could go any further she said, 'We haven't got any paperwork from you.'"
First Coast News called the VA and asked why there was a holdup, but they couldn't comment on his medical information because of HIPAA. "I was told the paperwork was in," Prevette said.
Prevette said he was told he needed an implant six months ago, but ever since, he's been waiting for the procedure.
He said he's worried the hole could cause more trouble for him. "Without having it totally covered, you run the risk of an infection," he said.
First Coast News is still working to find answers for Prevette, but the VA's Public Affairs Officer said they're looking into the issue and will find out if they can expedite the service he's eligible for.