Emergency Dentist for Seniors

Emergency Dentist for Seniors

If you often find yourself Googling something like “emergency dentist for seniors near me”, rest assured – you’re not alone. It’s easy to feel helpless when you’re in the midst of a dental emergency, and it’s important to find a dental professional that knows how to meet the needs and expectations of a senior citizen such as yourself.

At Emergency Dentists USA, we have spent over half a decade connecting patients of all ages, needs, and financial standings to professional emergency dentists near them. By calling our toll-free number or consulting the list of featured partners on our website, you can find an expert dentist with years of experience who has been personally vetted by our team.

But why would you need an emergency dentist for seniors instead of a regular emergency dentist? Well, there are three common situations seniors may find themselves in that require specialized dental care.

Emergency Dentures for Seniors

Dentures are removable materials that replace missing teeth. According to the American Dental Association, they can improve the appearance of your face and profile while also making it easier to speak, eat, and maintain the strength of your facial muscles. Many of Emergency Dentists USA featured partners have decades of experience providing low cost dentures for seniors and are available at unconventional times of the day or night.

Even if you already have a set of dentures you love, they can often become damaged or worn down by repeated use. They may need to be repaired or re-fitted. This is one of the most common reasons a patient will search for an urgent care dentist for seniors – few things are more frustrating than having to deal with painful, ill-fitting, or broken dentures. It’s important to get any problems fixed as soon as you possibly can!

Gum Disease

About 11 percent of seniors 65 or over will experience gum disease that is severe enough to require treatment. Gum disease can include gingivitis and periodontitis (the former is a swelling of the gums without any loss of bone or tissue, while the latter involves damage to tooth ligaments and bones due to a lack of blood.)

Gum disease is very painful and potentially dangerous, and it’s important to treat it as soon as symptoms appear by visiting a qualified urgent care dentist for seniors in your area.

Dry Mouth

Dry mouth is a common side effect of pharmaceutical drugs, which is a problem for seniors because older adults tend to take more medications than the rest of the population. It can also be the result of a number of health conditions including anxiety disorder, depression, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s Disease, Sjögren’s Syndrome, and Alzheimer’s disease.

The symptoms of dry mouth are more or less exactly what they sound like – cracked lips, a lack of saliva, lips sticking to teeth, and an extreme thirst that doesn’t seem to do much to solve the problem. Many seniors think that dry mouth is a natural part of getting older, but it can actually be treated by an oral care specialist! You don’t have to accept living with discomfort or pain when our referral specialists – each of whom has years of experience connecting patients with the help they need – make it easy to find dental help for seniors.

Dental Care for Seniors Without Insurance

According to a 2017 USA Today report, 74 million Americans do not have dental insurance. Despite this, many patients feel that they cannot seek out dental care without some kind of insurance. This is blatantly false, as there are many options for anyone seeking dental care for seniors without insurance.

The most common option for those without insurance is to seek out a payment plan so that they can just pay their bills over time, making them a lot more affordable. This is the option that we at Emergency Dentists USA specialize in – we have experts vet all of our featured partners to make sure that they offer payment plans at a reasonable price that anyone can reasonably afford even if they don’t have insurance.

However, dental savings plans are another option that’s becoming popular with anyone looking for an emergency dentist for seniors. We know – it sounds almost identical to a dental payment plan, but it’s actually quite different! Dental savings plans function more like memberships to a club or a Costco-like grocery store – you pay an annual fee in exchange for significantly reduced rates on all your visits to a participating dentist.

Finally, Americans aged 65 and older are eligible for special dental care for seniors through the Affordable Care Act as well as Medicaid/Medicare. You can learn more about these programs on the ACA website here.

Low Cost Dental Care Options for Seniors

Here are four other options you might consider if you’re looking for an urgent care dentist for seniors but are worried about being able to afford the payments.

Dental Schools

In order to train their students, dental schools and colleges will usually offer regular dental treatment services at a greatly reduced price. However, you should expect longer appointments that may actually take several days to complete a given treatment. This is a good option for people who are looking for cheap dental care, but not for those who need an emergency dentist for seniors as soon as possible.

Community Clinics

Many areas also offer local community clinics with free or reduced cost dental care through Social Services or the United Way. These are also known as “community health centers,” and you can find one near you using this tool provided by Healthcare.gov.

Veterans Benefits

If you are a qualifying veteran, you may be eligible for VA Dentistry, a program offered by the US Department of Veterans’ Affairs. The VA provides free or reduced price dental care to its veterans at 200 locations across the country, as well as relatively inexpensive dental insurance through Delta Dental or MetLife.

Alternative Treatments

In some cases, you may be able to find alternative treatments for the conditions that are affecting you. For example: there are many different types of dentures, and if you feel you are unable to afford the first option your dentist recommends you can always ask if there’s something cheaper available. Our qualified referral specialists also understand the different prices and needs of different dental treatments and may be able to recommend you to a less expensive solution if you call our toll-free helpline above.

Emergency Dentist for Seniors FAQ

What is an urgent care dentist for seniors?

An urgent care dentist for seniors is a dentist who’s available at unconventional hours (outside of the typical 9 AM to 5 PM times) so that they can respond to a patient’s emergency as soon as it happens.

Dentists for seniors will have expertise in fixing dentures and treating dry mouth and gum disease. But most dental practitioners have received training that will allow them to expertly treat the concerns of patients of any adult age.

How can I find a dentist for seniors near me?

The best way to find a dentist for seniors “near me” is to call the Emergency Dentists USA hotline. Our number is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 52 weeks a year, and we partner with featured dentists who have been thoroughly vetted by experts (so you don’t just have to go with the first result on Google.)

If you’re not sure what kind of help you need, or which dentists in your area are offering dental care for seniors, our referral specialists have years of experience connecting practitioners to patients and will easily be able to help you find what you need.

Is there dental care for seniors without insurance?

Yes. There are many options for anyone looking for dental care for seniors without insurance. Emergency dentists often offer payment plans (and our referral specialists can make sure that said plans are within your financial means.) A dental savings plan or government assistance for seniors can also help you afford an emergency dentist if you don’t have insurance – we cover these topics in the section above.

Where can I find low cost dentures for seniors?

We can help you find same-day denture repair at a cost you can afford when you call our toll-free number.

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