Because Medicare doesn’t provide coverage for oral health needs, nearly half of Medicare enrollees have no dental coverage at all, while those with coverage face unaffordable out-of-pocket costs. Oral health should not be considered separate from overall health because untreated dental decay and tooth loss can lead to serious problems including pain and difficulty eating, and can also worsen chronic conditions like diabetes and Alzheimer’s and dementia. .
Our advocacy aims to improve oral health for older adults through educating advocates and service providers at the state and federal level on how they can help the older adults they serve access oral health care. We also strongly advocate for policy changes to improve oral health care for the nation’s low-income older adults including expanding oral health coverage through Medicare and Medicaid.
