Serving patients of Erwin, Jonesborough, and Greeneville, TN
Retirement is not a hasty decision. Preparing to retire means making sure your finances are in order to support you for the rest of your life. You also have to think about where you are going to live, and how you will occupy this sudden surplus of free time. If you are getting ready for retirement, you may have thought about all these issues, but have you considered how retirement may affect your mouth? Many people who do have dental insurance are eligible for that coverage through their work, which means when they retire, that coverage goes away. Your local Greeneville dentist at Tusculum Dental Care has supplied this list of tips to help make sure your teeth are retirement ready.
The first step is communication
In an ideal situation, you should notify your dentist about your plans for retirement a few years before actually taking the plunge. This early notification serves several benefits; First, it gives you enough time to have all the treatments you may need; trying to get everything done in just a few months may not be a feasible feat. Also, many dental insurance plans have annual maximums for benefits they will pay in a given year—so letting your dentist know you plan to retire well ahead of time will allow you to maximize your dental benefits during the coming years.
If you want to give your dentist an adequate amount of time to do all the needed and desired work, and also make the most of your dental insurance coverage, we recommend following this schedule in the years leading up to retirement.
- Three to five years away from retirement: Let your dentist know about your plans to retire. Come up with a time frame, and ask that your dentist perform a very thorough examination of your teeth and mouth. Using those results, your dentist can construct a treatment plan to maximize your dental insurance benefits and also accommodate your schedule. Any major dental work, such as replacing or repairing older fillings that have broken down, should begin several years prior to retirement.
- One year away from retirement: By now you have been following your pre-retirement treatment plan for quite some time. At your dental check-up, make sure your plan remains on course by consulting with your Greeneville family dentist, and make any needed adjustments to the treatment plan at this time.
- One month away from retirement: Schedule an appointment where your dentist can identify any last-minute needs for your oral health. At this appointment, you should get your teeth cleaned one final time while still on your dental insurance plan.
More than 10,000 Americans retire from the workforce every single day and, just because you retire, that does not mean you should stop going to your dentist. Heading into your “golden years” make sure to continue brushing and flossing your teeth as diligently as you have throughout your life. You also should consider buying an ultrasonic toothbrush, which cleans your teeth effectively and is ideal for aging adults or those that have difficulty brushing their teeth well with a regular toothbrush.
Get my teeth retirement ready in Greeneville
At Tusculum Dental Care, we can provide comprehensive oral health services for patients of any age. To learn more about our services or how to maintain a healthy mouth into retirement, call our office at (423) 639-7575 to schedule a consultation.
Tusculum Dental Care is here to serve patients in the areas of Greeneville, Jonesborough, and Erwin in Tennessee.