California dentists have long been trusted health professionals in their communities, providing essential oral health care and education and promoting overall health.
One opportunity for dentists to extend their community impact is by becoming a service provider with CalVCB’s Victim Compensation Program The program provides reimbursement to victims who suffer physical injury or the threat of physical injury resulting from a violent crime.
Victims can better focus on their recovery and security when the financial strains of medical and dental treatment, mental health services, income loss, relocation and other crime-related expenses are alleviated. Participating dentists ensure that individuals in dire circumstances maintain dignity and access to comprehensive oral health care.
Dental treatment for crime-related injuries
Victims of violent crimes can require treatment that ranges from a single restoration to more complex reconstructive services. During the fiscal year 2025-26, dentists who partnered with CalVCB provided 136 claimants with more than $801,650 in treatment of crime-related injuries. Treatments included:
- Repair or replacement of broken or damaged teeth and dentures
- Temporomandibular disorders
- Diagnostic X-rays
- Oral hygiene, if necessary, during crime-related dental procedures
Becoming a CalVCB dental services provider
The process to become a CalVCB dental service provider is straightforward and begins when an eligible patient asks for care. The three primary steps for the dentist are:
- Review CalVCB’s guidelines for dental services providers.
- Submit documentation (W-9 and copy of license) for clearance to receive payment from CalVCB.
- Review CalVCB’s billing and payment procedures to ensure your services are reimbursed efficiently. Dental bills can be submitted on any standard dental form if the dentist provides the necessary billing information.
Dentists may request preauthorized approval for treatment by emailing or faxing an approved form, and CalVCB will review the estimate to determine if the treatment is both medically necessary and crime-related.
CalVCB indicates it typically issues payment to service providers 30–90 days from receipt of a bill.
Fact sheets for dentists and patients
CalVCB’s fact sheets for patients are available in more than a dozen languages. Here are links to several fact sheets in English:
- CalVCB fact sheet for medical and dental providers
- CalVCB basic fact sheet for patients or display in office
- CalVCB domestic violence fact sheet
Dentists, dental team members are ‘mandated reporters’ in California
CDA reminds members that under California law, licensed dentists, registered dental assistants, registered dental hygienists, human resources employees and, in some situations, supervisors, are “mandated reporters.”
Mandated reporters must report to the appropriate agency any incidents of violence and known or suspected abuse or neglect of children, elders and dependent adults. Employers should train employees who are state-mandated reporters.
A CDA resource for members provides instructions for mandated reporting plus details about the required training and consequences of noncompliance with links to applicable penal code sections.