Dental News

Senior Citizen’s Guide to Affordable Dental Care

November 2, 2014

Learn about options for getting affordable dental care after retirement.

Senior Citizen’s GuideRetirement brings many welcome changes, including more time to spend with family and friends or pursuing the hobbies and activities you love. However, it can also bring new financial constraints as you adjust to living on a fixed income. The loss of dental insurance coverage formerly provided by your employer can be a significant concern, especially considering how important good oral health is to seniors’ well-being.

You may be wondering how you will afford routine and emergency dental care once you lose your employer-sponsored dental plan. Here are some options that can help.

Get Medicare Advantage Coverage

Medicare Advantage plans are designed to supplement original Medicare by providing elective coverage for prescription drugs and other essentials. Some Medicare Part C plans do cover dental care, as well as eye care, hearing care, and prescription drugs. Go to medicare.gov to browse available plans.

Visit a Dental School’s Clinic

If you live near a university with an accredited dental school or a local college with a dental hygiene program, you may be able to get very affordable care while also providing an important service to dental students. Typically, you can save about 50 percent on your cleaning or other procedure, which will be performed by a student but overseen by a professor for quality assurance.

Shop Coupons & Promotions

Another option is to look for dental care coupons and promotions that may be available from various local dentists. For example, at California Dental Group we are currently running a coupon that entitles new patients to a $29 dental cleaning with free x-rays.

Consider Financing

If you need a major dental procedure, you may not be able to pay the entire cost upfront. However, with affordable financing options, you can break the cost down into small monthly payments that are much easier to fit into your fixed monthly budget.

Attend a Free Emergency Dental Care Day

One final option is to be on the lookout for free emergency dental care events. At California Dental Group, each of our 7 locations offers one free dental care day per year, with emergency services being provided on a first come first served basis. For example, the Upland clinic will be offering free care November 9 from 9 am to 2 pm, and the Eagle Rock clinic will be open for free emergency care Nov 12, also from 9 am to 2 pm.

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