My dentist friend told me that folks age 65 and older should be getting fluoride treatments. When I shared this with my dental hygienist, she agreed. So everytime I go for cleanings, I get the flouride. I get the varnish type which lasts up to 3 months, and not the foam or gel which lasts maybe 2 weeks. This morning she told my that most of her patients age 65 and older don’t get the fluoride treatments because their dental insurance doesn’t cover it, and many others without insurance don’t ask.
As she finished my treatment, she explained why seniors should request it and here are some of the reasons:
- Have receding gum or history of gum disease
- Have multiple fillings or crowns
- Dry mouth due to medications
- Currently undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
- Suffer from acid reflux
- use of chewing gum, or hard candy with sugar between meals
- Use tobacco products of any type
So the next time, you go for your dental hygiene treatment, ask about flouride. For a small investment of about $27 per treatment( I get the varnish), you could save big bucks down the road…or protect those existing crowns because most age 65+ dental plans exclude new crowns from coverage. There are very few individual dental age 65+ insurance plans that actually pay for crowns, and that’s why I seldom recommend dental coverage for Medicare eligibles, unless their plan is part of a large group, and even then you should see how much you’re paying for related coverage, and determine if you are paying more premium for the related coverage, just to have access to the dental option.
I know of a situation where eligible Medicare folks are leaving a lot of premium dollars on the table (up to $1,500 per year, in some cases by paying that much more for their Medicare Supplement and Part D coverage, just to have access to the dental. For a couple that could be as much as $3,000 plus per year in premium. I tell these clients, you could have your teeth cleaned every week for those savings.
Coach
PS: Did you hear about the 90 year old guy, who said that the women he dates travel strictly with the upper set..and then revealed later that they keep their lowers in a glass of lysol on their dressers.
