1. Medicare excludes routine preventive and outpatient treatment
Medicare excludes routine preventive and outpatient treatment. Medicare will allow for treatment in the hospital for dental care if hospitalization is necessary for medical treatment (ie. radiation treatment, jaw fracture) or if dental treatment is deemed complicated enough to warrant inpatient management. Medicare Part C or Medicare Advantage plans may include dental coverage, similar to private insurance.
AARP does have a dental insurance option for its members. Information can be found by typing AARP Dental Insurance into your search engine then following the prompts to the web site. The site is filled with all the information you need to choose a plan and a dentist in your area. You are able to choose any dentist however greater discounts are available if the dentist is part of the PPO network. There are 2 options for plan coverage and multiple options for the number of people covered and payment.
Individuals under 21 who are covered by Medicaid will have dental coverage. Those over 21 with Medicaid, may or may not, depending in which state they live. Some states will cover routine preventive care whereas others may cover only emergency dental needs.
In a survey of 4200 non-institutionalized adults aged 55 and older, older individuals had less income, were less likely to have dental insurance and went to the dentist less often than younger individuals. Dental coverage was also less likely for minorities, those without college or high school degrees, those living in rural areas, and, as expected, those without teeth. Lack of dental insurance plays a huge role in whether elderly individuals go to the dentist.
Development of Geriatric dentistry expertise:
Until recently, there was no career path in the U.S. for individuals wanting to specialize in geriatric dentistry, with the exception of Public Health. Brazil was the first country to recognize a specialty in Geriatric Dentistry in New Zealand and Australia have 3 year postgraduate geriatric training programs. In 2010, the first U.S. individuals completed an examination in Geriatric and Special Needs Dentistry in Chicago. The next step will be to apply for Geriatric Specialty status.
References
Ettinger R. The Development of Geriatric Dental Education Programs in Canada: an Update, J Canadian Dental Association 2010;76:a1.
Henry RG et al. Final Report: Kentucky Elder Oral Health Survey Lexington, KY: Division of Dental Public Health, College of Dentistry, University of Kentucky, 2005.
Medicare Dental Services, U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Accessed on 3/29/2011 at
Manski RJ et al. Dental care coverage and retirement. J Pub Health Dent 2010;70(1):1-12.
Manski RJ et al. Dental care utilization and retirement. J Pub Health Dent 2010;70(1):67-75.
Manski RJ, Brown E. Dental use, expenses, private dental coverage, and changes, 1996 and Rockville, MD; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; MEPS Chartbook No 17.