To maintain your health as you get older, you should take a proactive approach to your dental care. According to the ADA, all adults above the age of 60 should get at least one dental care exam annually, even if pain or other dental problems are absent. Because nerves become less sensitive as you age, waiting to visit your dentist when discomfort begins may be too late to save your tooth.
Preventive dental treatment is more affordable than undergoing expensive dental procedures such as root canal or surgery. Poor dental habits can sometimes cause tooth and gum diseases linked to pneumonia, heart disease, stroke, or arterial blockage. Unfortunately, many seniors don’t have senior dental plans NJ and skip their annual dental visits due to cost. In a 2010 survey, it was discovered that one in every five Medicare beneficiaries failed to visit their dentist over a span of five years.
Consequences of No Senior Dental Plans NJ
Because the cost of dental care increases as we age, it comes as no surprise that most Medicare recipients skip their trips to the dentist. Almost half of Medicare respondents who took part in a recent survey admitted that the main reason for failing to regularly visit a dentist is because of their strained budgets. This led to a 2013 report by the Kaiser Family Foundation which states that one in every four Medicare recipients is edentulous. This is a situation where one lacks all-natural teeth.
Medicare Limits for Dental Care
Medicare doesn’t cover the most needed dental treatments such as plates, annual cleanings, and other dental care services that we often visit our dentists for. Medicare Part A only covers dental procedures after an emergency hospital visit where there is a need for complicated dental procedures. However, most seniors often don’t need the dental procedures covered by Medicare such as dental exams before a heart valve replacement or teeth cleaning before oral cancer radiation.
How to Get Low-Cost Dental Care
Because you can’t rely on Medicare to pay for dental procedures, you may wonder how you can get affordable dental care. Some of your options include:
Dental schools
According to the ADA (American Dental Association), dental schools can help you get quality and affordable dental treatment. Most teaching facilities have dental clinics that enable dental students to acquire experience treating patients by providing affordable dental care services. The dental students are closely supervised by experienced and licensed dentists.
Public dental clinics
They are run by state or local health departments or by other community health centers that receive funding from the local government. Most of these clinics offer cleanings, exams, root canals, X-rays, crowns, fillings, and surgical tooth extractions.
Clinical trials
Some institutions such as the NIDCR (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research) often seek volunteers with various oral, dental, and craniofacial conditions to take part in dental clinical trials. Researchers can provide you with low-cost or free dental treatment for the specific condition they are studying.
Senior Dental Plans NJ
These plans are more affordable than dental insurance. You only pay a small annual membership fee instead of high monthly premiums and you get 20 to 50 percent discounts off on various dental procedures. What’s more, with senior dental plans NJ, you don’t have to complete any paperwork. This means you don’t have to file for claims or reimbursements. Plus, there’re no co-pays, deductibles, waiting periods, or annual spending limits.
You need proper dental care, especially now that you’re in your golden years. Senior dental Plans NJ such as DentalSave will help you get affordable dental services
