A guide to finding affordable dental care

Dear Savvy Senior: I had dental insurance through my work for many years but lost it when I retired. Where can retirees find affordable dental care? — Need a Dentist

Dear Need: Finding affordable dental care can be challenging for seniors living on a tight budget. Most retirees lose their dental insurance after leaving the workplace, and original Medicare does not cover cleanings, fillings or dentures.

Although there’s no one solution to affordable dental care there are several options that can help cut your costs.

Here’s where to look.

MEDICARE ADVANTAGE

Although original Medicare (Part A and B) and Medicare supplemental policies don’t cover routine dental care, there are some Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans that do. Many of these plans, which are sold through private insurance companies, cover dental care along with eye care, hearing and prescription drugs, in addition to all of your hospital and medical insurance.

If you’re Medicare-eligible, visit medicare.gov/find-a-plan to look for Advantage plans in your area that cover dental care.

DENTAL DISCOUNTS

You can also reduce dental care expenses by joining a dental discount network. How this works is you pay an annual membership fee — around $80 to $200 a year — in exchange for 10 percent to 60 percent discounts on service and treatments from participating dentists. To find a network, visit dentalplans.com (or call 888-632-5353) where you can search for plans and participating dentists by ZIP code, and get a breakdown of the discounts offered.

Another option that’s available only in Southern California is brighter.com. The site provides users free access to a network of dentists offering up to 50 percent discounts on all services.

DENTAL SCHOOLS

Dental school clinics offer savings opportunities, too. All 65 accredited dental schools in the United States offer affordable care provided by dental students who are overseen by their professors. You can expect to pay about half of what a traditional dentist would charge and still receive excellent, well-supervised care.

Another option is to check with local colleges that offer dental hygiene programs. For training purposes, many programs provide teeth cleanings by their students for a fraction of what you’d pay at a dentist’s office.

To search for nearby dental schools or dental hygiene programs visit ada.org/dentalschools.

VETERANS BENEFITS

If you’re a veteran enrolled in the Veterans Affairs health care program, or are a beneficiary of the Civilian Health and Medical Program, the VA is now offering a dental insurance program that gives you the option to buy dental insurance through Delta Dental and MetLife at a reduced cost.

The VA also provides free dental care to vets who have dental problems resulting from service. To learn more about these options, visit va.gov/dental or call 877-222-8387.

LOW-INCOME OPTIONS

If you’re low-income, several programs and clinics provide dental care at a reduced rate or for free. To look for options in your area contact your state dental director (see astdd.org), or your state or local dental society (ebusiness.ada.org/mystate.aspx).

You may also be able to get discounted or free dental care at one of the federally funded Health Resources and Services Administration health centers (findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov, 877-464-4772), or at a privately funded free clinic (nafcclinics.org).

Also check with the Dental Lifeline Network (dentallifeline.org, 888-471-6334) which provides free dental care for low-income elderly and disabled; Remote Area Medical (ramusa.org) which offers free health, eye and dental care to people in select locations; and Indian Health Service (ihs.gov), which provides free dental care to American Indians and Alaska Natives who are members of a federally recognized Indian tribe.

Also visit toothwisdom.org, a website created by Oral Health America that will help you find low-cost dental care.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit savvysenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.