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Senior Living Blog

Senior Dental: Some Sobering Facts

October 1, 2012

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It is unfortunate that Medicare offers so little in the way of dental coverage.

Dental Health-ToothbrushMedicare offers benefits only for medically-necessary aspects of senior health. As a result, senior dental care normally isn’t covered by Medicare or Medicare supplement insurance plans.

Dental care isn’t alone there, as seniors generally have to purchase  senior hearing plans and senior vision plans to get the coverage they need in these equally important areas of health.

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But for now let’s focus on senior dental care and why it’s so important.

Seniors are at advanced risk for various oral health problems including dry mouth, root decay, gum disease, tooth loss, and stomatitis, which can result from ill-fitting dentures. There are many more oral health problems that can strike seniors, and some are even linked to extremely serious disorders including heart disease and strokes!

Seniors are also at elevated risk for oral cancer—which too often goes undetected until it’s too late. Early detection can make all the difference between a happy ending and a tragic one, and there are many times a visit to the dentist would have resulted in a happy ending. Your dentist is an expert at spotting potential problems that you may be unaware of. Whether you have a big problem, a small one, or none at all, there’s no possible advantage to avoiding the dentist when it’s time for a checkup.

Unfortunately, countless seniors have given up going to the dentist altogether.

In many cases they’re simply afraid of the costs they’ll rack up without adequate dental coverage through Medicare—and they have a point.

Fortunately, there are solutions to make those dentist visits a lot easier on your wallet.

Dental insurance plans and dental discount plans both go a long way toward ensuring you’ll get the dental care that’s so vital to your health.

Dental insurance plans often cover the cost of cleanings, fillings, dentures, treatment of the gums, and procedures including root canals and crown repair. Dental discount plans, meanwhile, cover a wide range of procedures often including cosmetic procedures and orthodontics. Discount plans help eliminate the paperwork associated with dental insurance plans, and there are no health or age restrictions associated with most dental discount plans.

You should compare the benefits of dental insurance and dental discount plans before deciding which option is best suited to providing the dental care you need.