Don't give your dental health the brush-off when you retire

Read time: 4 minutes

If your retirement is around the corner, congratulations!

If you’ve started to plan for what your health coverage will look like once you reach this milestone, you’ve probably discovered a couple things:

Odds are you won’t be able to keep your group dental insurance (very few retirees are able to keep their former employer’s dental coverage).
Medicare doesn’t cover dental work.
In 1965, when Medicare was enacted, dental benefits weren’t recognized as a priority. At the time, dental issues such as tooth loss were considered a normal aging problem. That’s no longer the case — medical research has shown dental health is connected with overall health. And, with improvements in dental care, older adults are keeping more of their natural teeth than in previous decades.

The lack of dental coverage in retirement probably plays a role in untreated tooth decay and gum disease among adults 65 and older. Nearly one in five have untreated tooth decay, and about two-thirds have gum disease.

Because regular dental care is important throughout your whole life, it’s important to factor in that cost as you plan your health coverage in retirement.

How will you pay for yours?

1. Pay all the costs yourself (‘self-pay’)

Some people plan to self-pay for routine dental visits, hoping those visits will help prevent major work. But that can be a bit of a gamble. Even if you’ve never missed an exam and are experiencing good dental health now, previous dental work can fail over time. Crowns and root canals can cost more than $1,000.

If you decide to self-pay and end up needing major dental work, you can look into:

Payment plans. Ask your dentist if his or her office offers payment plans.
Dental schools. Every state has at least two dental or dental hygiene programs, and most schools run clinics where students treat the public at reduced prices. You might pay half or even less for root canals, fillings, and other services, compared with what established dentists charge. Licensed supervisors check each step as the student works on your dental issues. You can search the website of the Commission on Dental Accreditation to search for a school in your area.

2. Buy individual dental insurance

Because predicting future dental costs is as difficult as predicting future medical costs, individual dental insurance can be an important part of a health care plan in retirement.

Like all insurance, you have to consider the cost of not having it if you need it.

For example, the national average monthly Social Security benefit in August 2024 was $1,783. It’s easy to see how a fairly common but expensive dental procedure such as a tooth-saving root canal (national average cost about $1,109) could deeply cut into that.

Dental insurance can help you deal with these kinds of expenses — as well as preserve your oral health.

If you’re shopping for dental insurance, look for coverage that:

Has no annual maximum on the cash benefits you can receive
Has no deductible
Gives you the freedom to see any dentist — and enjoy savings from network providers
Provides immediate benefits for preventive and basic care
Pays benefits for a wide range of dental procedures … from cleanings and fillings, to crowns, root canals, and dentures
Has guaranteed acceptance regardless of your dental health

However you decide to pay for it, don’t neglect dental care in your retirement years. It can go a long way toward helping you keep your teeth — and your overall health — in good shape.

If you’ve already retired and no longer have dental coverage as a result, it’s not too late to purchase individual dental insurance. Some insurance policies cover preventive benefits right away, so you can get back on track with regular dentist visits.