Does dental care have an age limit?

Unfortunately for a lot of seniors in America, traditional Medicare does not cover dental services, and any type of dental coverage under Medicare would require supplemental coverage or a Medicare Advantage Plan.

A 2015 report by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research reported that 23 percent of seniors, or almost one-quarter of the senior population 65 and older, have not been to the dentist in the last five years. And half of all seniors 65+ haven't seen a dentist within the past year.

As a result, people are seeking other solutions to meet their needs. One such alternative is a dental savings plan or discount dental plan, which is an alternative to traditional dental insurance.

"Seniors represent a significant part of our customer base," said Bill Chase, vice president of marketing for :DentalPlans. "And we find that our customers, and seniors especially, understand the direct connection of oral health to overall health and well-being."

According to Oral Health America, nearly 70 percent of seniors do not have dental insurance. And with 47.5 percent of dental expenditures paid out-of-pocket, seniors on a fixed income may find it more difficult to afford care. As a person ages, they often require more costly dental procedures like crowns, root canals, extractions, and dentures and the costs of some of these procedures exceed $1,000.

A dental savings plan is an alternative to dental insurance. Participating dentists agree to accept a reduced fee from dental savings plan members for a variety of dental procedures. Members pay an annual fee and get access to the reduced rates on dental services including cosmetic dentistry and orthodontia. 

Source: http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20151012/entlife/151019993/

In other dental news: Aurident offers the Optimet DS 6000 Scanner which uses patented proprietary conoscopic holographic technology to generate highly accurate and consistent scans.

The DS 6000 Scanner can be used for all dental applications such as copings, full contour crowns, bridges up to 14 units, implants, implant bars and dentures.