How to pay for needed dental work?

Have the tooth pulled. There is no reason to put her thru a root canal and crown work. I have been thru a few of both of these and its no picnic. I would not put my 89 yr old mother with Dementia thru what needs to be done. Its also several trips to the dentist.

At her age there is no reason to have a root canal or a crown. Have it pulled out and be done with it.

The dentist just wants to make more money, IMO it is ridiculous to even consider this at age 89.

From the Care Topics/Dental Care of this website:

Benefits Counseling
How many times have you, either as a senior or as a family caregiver, wrestled with trying to figure out what type of help was available to you? Free benefits counseling is available through your local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) that can point you in the right direction. AAA counselors can provide answers regarding health insurance coverage, food stamps, income assistance and other free government benefits for seniors.

Don’t feel like visiting your AAA in person? Try a virtual form of benefits counseling onBenefitsCheckUp.org. Seniors can use this website provided by theNational Council on Aging (NCOA) to search for specific resources or discover new local, state and federal benefit programs that can help save money. If necessary, AAAs can assist with applying for benefits as well.

Ask the dentist if they have a payment plan. You might also want to consider whether an extraction may be a better option for a woman her age.
And it doesn't hurt to shop around, I was told I needed a root canal 10 years ago, obviously I didn't.

If Mom's on Medicaid, check to see if your State is one of the 25 states now offering dental coverage to adults over 21. And taking the Benefits.gov questionnaire is always a good idea.

My opinion: no root canal and crowns. Either leave them alone or have them pulled. Don’t put your mom through that. Again, my 2cents, worth nothing

Dont do a root canal on an 89 year old with dementia. If you need to then pull the tooth but if it's not bothering her I would leave it alone.

Your profile says she has ALZ/dementia. This would be a determining factor, since she'd have to be able to comply with what the dentist needs her to do (sit still and keep her mouth open for a long time, for starters). My MIL had very bad back problems and couldn't manage sitting in that position for long.

The next challenge will be finding a dentist that accepts Medicaid AND knows how to handle cognitively impaired patients.

I may be in a minority that feels the teeth should be preserved (capped, crowned, implants) because eating without teeth robs elders of one of the few remaining pleasures later in life.

FYI. Most of us on Medicqre do not have adequate dental insurance and most do not cover crowns and root canals. Those plans act almost like a savings plan so mostly it is a wash.
My 95 year old aunt at the time needed work on a tooth. She was mentally intact and just opted for a tooth removal that did not impact her ability to chew.

Good Morning,

Maybe you could look into the Veteran's Aid & Attendance that is if your father was a Veteran during time of War.

Are you allowed to purchase Dental insurance for a specific amount of time? I would speak to the dentist and see what do most people do? Good oral hygiene is important, as without it, it can lead to infection or heart issues. Also, tell the dentist if your mother is on any kind of blood thinner.

My mother has dental. It is around $56 per month. Usually you have to get a prior authorization from the dentist when anything extensive needs to be done. Maybe you could have 1/2 of the work done in 2023 and the other in 2024 when you have a new year of services.

Also, depending upon where you live. In my part of the country, the Tufts Dental School has a clinic for procedures. You pay on a sliding scale. Also, if you have a Social Worker you can speak with perhaps, they have a dentist that is a provider for income levels that handles dementia patients, as they cannot sit long. I would go in with your mother. That is what I do.

I wouldn't let it go because your mother can't tell you if she is in pain. My mother's dentist, the one she has been going to for years is semi-retiring and working out of another dental practice. The main dental provider in our State which pretty much has a monopoly--well this new practice does not take this insurance. I couldn't believe it. But, my mother's health insurance provides 2 cleanings per year. So I am sticking with the same dentist, and using the health insurance coverage for a dental cleaning. I want my mother to stick with the same dentist and it is in the neighborhood.

Everything changes and you have to find out "each year" which provider takes your insurance and what is covered. I wouldn't let this go because you don't want your mother to be in pain at 2:00 in the morning.

I hope I was of some help...it may take a few phone calls.