As a Senior, You Can’t Afford to Ignore Dental Services  

As you age, dental health is something that becomes more important to be proactive about. You might assume that your dental checkups aren’t as important as doctor visits, but this isn’t the case.

Skipping your dental visits because of the cost can be tempting, but doing this could leave you with increasingly costly dental issues. Caring for your teeth can already be costly, especially if you are a senior and are paying for all dental expenses out of your own pocket.

Skipping dental work because you want to save money could cost you both your health and a lot of money, and could lead to potential health issues worsening. As you age, you may start needing more serious dental work, and putting off these treatments can cause bigger concerns such as a need for bridges, dental implants, missing teeth or oral surgery.

Avoiding regular dental visits could potentially cause health concerns such as dental decay, missing or rotting teeth, untreated gum infections and the inability to eat comfortably. In addition to these health concerns, other health issues can be caused by these problems too, affecting conditions such as heart disease, rheumatism and diabetes.

Even if caring for your dental health does cost you money, you cannot afford to neglect your dental health needs, especially with increasing health concerns in your senior years.

You can find dental insurance at an affordable price

It can be particularly complicated to find suitable dental insurance, just like it can be to find health insurance, especially if this is your first time considering it. You are correct to feel concerned, as one one of the biggest worries for seniors is being able to find affordable dental insurance.

If you’re in search of dental insurance, there are fortunately numerous cost-conscious options available. As a senior, consider the following budget-friendly, low-cost options:

-Dental discount plans, which are a discount programs for dental services, as opposed to dental insurance. You will pay a small cost to join the discount plan, and as a result you will save money at your dentist visits.

-Medicare Advantage plans, which are only available to individuals who have qualified for Medicare, and are private insurance plans. You will get coverage for dental services, as well as other services that Medicare doesn’t normally cover.

–Medigap, which covers some Medicare copays and coinsurance expenses. This is a supplemental insurance plan, and not all Medigap programs will offer coverage of dental expenses, however there are options for add-ons that do cover these expenses.

Dental work isn’t covered by medicare

It has been reported by Senior Living that seniors are often surprised to learn that Medicare doesn’t cover dental treatment or care. This is one major reason that seniors end up skipping their regular dental visits and care, because they are not expecting the costs.

You’ve got it right: Dental expenses are not covered by Medicare, unless it is dental work that is required as part of another medical treatment specifically. Seniors cannot expect Medicare to cover their dental costs, and the costs will only be covered in the following circumstances:

-You have a serious oral infection that you have been hospitalized for. Dental work is required for a jaw disease or injury.

-Dental exams have been required by your physician prior to a heart valve or kidney transplant.

-You have a medical condition that threatens your life and that requires dental work that must be done in a hospital.

It is likely that if you were under the impression that you could use Medicare to pay for your dental visits, you haven’t planned to budget and pay for your dental bills. Thankfully, you have options for getting the cost of your dental procedures, treatments and exams reduced through the use of dental insurance.

As much as 100% of your dental costs could be saved by using dental insurance

You may be worried as to whether dental insurance is worth the price. Fortunately, even though there is a premium that you will pay, you will have less expenses every time you go to the dentist. It is even possible that you may be able to attend the dentist free of charge.

Dental insurance usually pays for 20 percent of the cost of restorative care, 50 percent of the cost of basic dental needs and 100 percent of the cost of preventative dental care, according to Senior Living.

This means that you are capable of getting your regular checkups, cleanings and other preventative care fully covered by your dental insurance. Additionally, you will only have to pay a portion of the price of more serious dental procedures such as fillings, bridges, custom dentures or root canals.

Seniors don’t have to worry and battle to afford dental care services, with cost-effective options like these available. On average, dental insurance costs only $15 to $50 per month, as reported by Money Under 30. This is an affordable premium to pay considering that you will be saving on any dental treatments and care you might require.

It is recommended to find a dental insurance plan which covers the care you need and also fits within your budget. All you need to do is browse around for your dental insurance options before you need to pay any higher costs for your necessary dental work.

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References:

1 The Importance of Dental Insurance Coverage