Oral care is a necessary part of everyone’s overall health that grows more crucial with age. However, it’s not always easy to access the help you need. Whether you’re over the age of 65 or are seeking senior dental care for a loved one, it’s essential to understand what senior dental care includes and which plans or providers are available to you. With this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn the importance of senior dental care, daily oral hygiene practices, and how to make an informed decision on the best Michigan dental care plan for your needs.
Why is Dental Care Important for Seniors?
For many adults over the age of 65, it can be hard to remember what it was like to have a healthy and bright smile. Over time, many senior citizens begin to experience sensitive gums, trouble biting food, and pain in their mouths.
Issues such as these are why it is so important for seniors to practice regular dental hygiene. If you put consistent time and effort into oral care, your mouth will be healthier for longer. Taking charge of your dental hygiene may seem daunting, but here’s the good news: Michigan is full of senior dental care options that can meet your needs.
Daily Dental Hygiene Upkeep for Seniors
To keep your smile healthy for years to come, seniors need to remember that good oral hygiene starts at home. This means brushing twice daily with a soft-bristled toothbrush, making sure to pay attention to your inner and outer teeth, gum line, and tongue. To remove food and plaque stuck in between your teeth, floss every time before you brush. Plus, round out your daily routine by incorporating a mouthwash to kill the remaining bacteria.
Finding the Best Senior Dental Care Plan For You
In addition to at-home oral care, seniors should incorporate regular dentist visits into their hygiene routine. We know the fear of cost can prevent you from scheduling an appointment, but at MCDC, we believe everyone should have access to full-service dental care at a price they can afford. This is why we treat both insured and uninsured patients and offer numerous care plans to fit a variety of needs. A basic outline of our plans for insured and uninsured patients is below, and we also have a comprehensive guide to dental insurance in Michigan for additional information.
Insured Patient Plans
If you or your senior loved one currently have dental insurance, MCDC can accept the following dental insurance providers:
- Michigan Medicaid
- Delta & Blue Cross Healthy Kids Dental
- Most Healthy Michigan Plans
- Priority Health
- Molina
- United HealthCare
- Aetna Better Health
- McLaren
- HAP Empowered
- Meridian
- Upper Peninsula Health Plan
- Delta Commercial Plans
- Delta Medicare Advantage Plans
- DentaQuest Network Plans
- DenteMax Network Plans
- Cigna
- United HealthCare Commercial
- Wisconsin Medicaid
Uninsured Patient Plans
For those without dental insurance, MCDC offers a number of options to provide you or your senior loved one with full dental care at an affordable cost:
We hope this guide to senior dental care in Michigan has been helpful. If you have additional questions about senior dental hygiene or dental care plans for seniors, MCDC is happy to assist you in finding the best option for your needs.
