Medicare can help many seniors pay for healthcare costs and maintain good overall health as they retire. However, dental health is typically handled apart from traditional healthcare, and many seniors may need dental coverage separate from their Medicare or private health insurance.
Dental insurance for seniors can cover a range of services to maintain healthy teeth and gums. This article will examine some key facts about dental insurance for seniors to help you see if a dental policy fits your needs.
What to Know About Dental Insurance for Seniors
1. Medicare Doesn’t Always Cover Dental Care
Seniors can get Medicare coverage at age 65 to handle their traditional healthcare needs.1 However, Medicare generally doesn’t cover dental costs unless the dental treatments are directly related to an underlying medical condition or procedure that Medicare covers.2
You can get some coverage for dental care by getting a Medicare Advantage plan through a private insurer.3 Due to the additional coverage, premiums may be higher than traditional Medicare.
That said, seniors can also explore private, non-Medicare dental insurance. Shopping for multiple Medicare Advantage and non-Medicare plans can allow you to compare rates and coverages to find the policy that suits your needs.
2. Dental Insurance for Seniors Covers a Range of Treatments
Dental insurance for seniors typically covers medically necessary dental procedures, helping you to maintain good oral health throughout your life.
Dental insurance coverage often includes the following:
- Preventative care: This may include routine treatments that are fundamental to keeping teeth and gums healthy and catching early warning signs of issues.
- Basic procedures: This may include treatment for care and maintenance.
- Major procedures: This may include treatment to help correct significant dental issues and entail more complex procedures.
3. Dental Care Without Insurance Can Be Expensive
Dental care for adults without insurance can cost significant amounts of money. Preventative care alone can cost a few hundred dollars per year. Basic treatments can increase costs. Major treatments for seniors can cost thousands for a single treatment.
Without the support of dental insurance, seniors may be deterred from seeking out these treatments as it could cause significant financial strain and drain their savings.
Many dental insurance policies usually cover most or all preventative care, along with many plans offering coverage for basic and major procedures. This can help reduce costs in exchange for affordable premiums, encouraging seniors to seek regular care.
4. There Are Many Types of Dental Insurance Plans
Dental insurance comes in many forms. Each plan can offer varying coverage amounts, features, and premiums so seniors can customize coverage to their needs and budget.
Here are the three major types of dental insurance:4,5
- Dental Preferred Provider Organization (DPPO): These tend to charge the highest premiums and require you to meet a deductible before coverage takes over but are also the most flexible. DPPOs have expansive networks of providers, yet you may qualify for partial coverage if you receive care from an out-of-network provider. You can seek specialist care directly without a referral, too. Overall, DPPOs can work best for seniors willing to pay higher premiums for the most flexibility.
- Dental Health Maintenance Organization (DHMO): These offer lower premiums than DPPOs and copays than DPPOs. However, you can only receive coverage in-network and must get a referral from your primary provider to seek specialist care. DHMOs can work for seniors who want a most cost-effective solution and are willing to limit their provider options slightly.
- Dental discount plan: This is not technically insurance but rather a membership plan. You pay a small annual fee to access discounts on dental services. These are the simplest plan types but may offer less coverage, suiting them to seniors with great oral health who primarily need routine care.
Know the Facts About Senior Dental Insurance
Traditional Medicare can be a good foundation for staying healthy in retirement. However, it typically doesn’t offer dental coverage, and dental treatments can be expensive without coverage, dissuading seniors from seeking the care necessary for good oral health.
Fortunately, seniors can shop for Medicare Advantage plans or private plans to find coverage. These plans can offer coverage from routine care to major dental work, helping to bring costs down and make dental care affordable.
By shopping with multiple insurers and comparing plans, seniors can find affordable dental coverage that meets their needs and helps them maintain excellent oral health.
Sources:
1 Medicare – Get Started with Medicare. https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare. Accessed March 28, 2025.
2 Medicare – Dental services. https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/dental-services. Accessed March 28, 2025.
3 AARP – 5 Things You Should Know About Dental Coverage and Medicare. Updated April 19, 2023. https://www.aarp.org/medicare/dental-coverage/. Accessed March 28, 2025.
4 American Dental Association – Types of Dental Plans. https://www.ada.org/resources/practice/dental-insurance/dental-plan-overview. Accessed March 28, 2025.
5 Investopedia – Dental Insurance HMO vs. PPO: What’s the Difference? Updated February 26, 2024. https://www.investopedia.com/dental-insurance-hmo-vs-ppo-whats-the-difference-8553452. Accessed March 28, 2025.
Content within this article is provided for general informational purposes and is not provided as tax, legal, health, or financial advice for any person or for any specific situation. Employers, employees, and other individuals should contact their own advisers about their situations. For complete details, including availability and costs of Aflac insurance, please contact your local Aflac agent.
Aflac coverage is underwritten by American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus. In New York, Aflac coverage is underwritten by American Family Life Assurance Company of New York.
Dental: In Delaware, Policies A82100R–A82400R. In Idaho, Policies A82100RID–A82400RID. In Oklahoma, Policies A82100ROK–A82400ROK. In Virginia, A82100RVA–A82400RVA.
Dental, Vision, and Hearing coverage is underwritten by Tier One Insurance Company. Tier One Insurance Company is part of the Aflac family of insurers. In California, Tier One Insurance Company does business as Tier One Life Insurance Company (NAIC 92908).
Dental, Vision and Hearing: In Delaware, Policy T80000. In Idaho, Policy T80000ID. In Oklahoma, Policy T80000OK. Dental claims are administered by SKYGEN USA, LLC. Vision claims are administered by EyeMed Vision Care, LLC. Hearing claims are administered by Nations Hearing. NOTICE: The coverage offered is not a qualified health plan (QHP) under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and is not required to satisfy essential health benefits mandates of the ACA. The coverage provides limited benefits.
Coverage may not be available in all states, including but not limited to NJ, NM, NY, VA or VT. Benefits/premium rates may vary based on state and plan levels. Optional riders may be available at an additional cost. Policies and riders may also contain a waiting period. Refer to the exact policy and rider forms for benefit details, definitions, limitations and exclusions.
Aflac WWHQ | Tier One Insurance Company | 1932 Wynnton Road | Columbus, GA 31999
Z2500141 EXP 03/26
