Retiring Seniors May Face Dilemmas in Dental Care

Certain Washington state medical providers say dental care is a health cost that retiring seniors should prepare for, a fact complicated by a lack of awareness, reports the Spokane Journal of Business . "I suspect that oral health isn't as big of a concern for people who are planning retirement as it should be," says Timothy Naomi, a dentist with Providence Medical Group. He adds that oral checkups on a regular six- to eight-month basis are still very important for people older than 65, "because as we reach those later decades of life, we become more prone to certain oral health issues. And it's always more expensive and time-consuming to fix problems later, rather than working to prevent them." In addition, Naomi stresses that a significant number of seniors' dentists qualify for Medicaid, but "there are others who don't qualify for Medicaid, and Medicare doesn't cover dental care. It's a real issue for them, many of whom are already on fixed incomes." He also points out that many cases where the cost of dental care is unexpected involve persons living in a skilled nursing community, which "can identify issues, but there's nowhere for the resident to go for follow-up work or more involved procedures."