CDC: Dental Care Often Overlooked for Older Americans

A report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that about 29 percent of adults 65 and older had dental insurance in 2017, and around 66 percent had seen a dentist in the last year, according to U.S. News & World Report . These figures are lower compared to younger adults with private insurance, but are generally comparable with younger adults overall. "Chronic diseases that may impact oral health and the need for care, such as diabetes and osteoporosis, are common among the older population, and poor oral health may contribute to the risk of certain conditions," the CDC warned. Dental care can present a novel challenge for seniors, who often access health coverage via Medicare, which does not cover regular dental care. "Poor older adults were less likely to have dental insurance and to have visited the dentist, and more likely to have an unmet need for dental care due to cost compared with not-poor older adults," the CDC noted. The report found that seniors who are impoverished, uninsured, and in racial or ethnic minorities tend to have the worst oral health.