Free Dentures and Free Dental Care
Upon retiring, many seniors lose their dental coverage, which makes finding free dentures and dental care a priority, if these services are available for free.
Now, as you might imagine, this isn’t easy to come by, but there are a few options out there.
So what I am going to do is to go over the organizations that can provide these services for free…
…Also, if for any reason you do not qualify for any of the services below, I have written on a separate page about dental discount plans where anyone, seniors included, can receive significant savings off their dentures and dental work.
Free Dental Care
First, I would encourage you to look into the National Association of Free Clinics.
They are a nationwide group of doctors and dentists that provide free services for all age groups, including seniors.
There are financial requirements that you must meet in order to qualify but I would recommend that you take the time to investigate this resource.
Next, investigate the Dentist Care Foundation of Mercy and see if they have an event coming to your area. This is group of volunteer dentists that travel the country assisting those without dental insurance.
Another way for you to receive free dental care is for you to volunteer for clinical trials.
The Dental Research Programs Directory may be able to provide you with free services for your dental needs. You can search by state or by procedure to see if you could benefit from the free clinical trial.
In addition to those above, there are several options below:
Explore some university-based dental colleges to see if they take patients. You would have your dental needs taken care of by the students at that university under the supervision of the professors at the college.
It should be noted that this is not done for free, but would be done at a reduced rate. Call your local Office of the Aging to see if they know of any dentists in your area that would be willing to help low-income individuals or a pro-bono basis.
Another good source for this type of information would be your local Lion’s Club. They also may be able to put you into touch with state agencies that can assist you as well.
Free Dentures
Free dentures are hard to come by. However, there are a few options out there for needy senior citizens. First of all, please remember that Medicare is not an option for free dentures. Medicare will not pick up the tab for low-cost or free dentures.
Now, you should definitely research all of the options that I listed above under the ‘Free Dental Care’ section, but in addition to those, here are a few ideas that may come in handy when you are looking for a free set of dentures.
- Your state dental association – through your state’s dental association you can typically find programs for low-cost or free dentures.
- Local charities – many groups on the local level, like the Lion’s club, will be in a position to know if a local dentist is willing to do this type of work on a pro-bono basis.
- Your local Office of the Aging – while it could go by another (ie: Division of Senior Services) because they work with so many senior citizens you may be able to get great information from this agency on how to get free dentures.
- Is there a financing option? Many area dentists may be in a position to have you make installment payments which would reduce the financial burden on needing dentures.
- Are you willing to volunteer for any research projects? I listed it above but want to say again that the Dental Health Research website may be just what you are looking for.
You would be ‘testing out’ a new type of dentures, but they would be yours. It doesn’t hurt to check to see if there are any clinical trials you could participate in.
If Not Free, Then Cheap Dentures
Ok, if you are like many people then you did not qualify for free dentures using one of the programs above…but what about cheap dentures? Where can you go to find a set of cheap dentures?
Try your local dental college. This may be a shot in the dark but if you call a few local schools you may have the ability to get seen by some of the students at the dental college. This is not as bad as it may sound. The work done on you will be well supervised under the care of expert professors and you will be receiving the set of cheap dentures you need.
It is important to note that not every dental school will do this…but it is worth a shot if it means that you will be saving potentially thousands of dollars.
Recap
Combined, there are close to a dozen options for you to look at when exploring free dentures and dental care. And I realize this won’t be easy. You will have to look online, make phone calls and may have to wait in order to receive the services you are looking for.
And if they are not available, or you do not qualify, then you need to look for these services where it is provided in the most economical way possible.
Return to the “Stuff Senior Citizens Need” Homepage
looking for a program so i can get dentures a dental research program in kentucky or tn
Gloria,
I would start my search at this free clinic.
841 Union Street (new address)
Shelbyville, TN 37160
PHONE: (931) 684-6772
FAX: (931) 684-6721
Contact them and ask them if they can assist you.
If they cannot, ask if they know of any resources in your area that can help.
I am looking for somewhere I can get dentures for my Dad in Utah.
Tracy,
Here are some options…
I checked the schedule for the American Dental Foundation’s Mission of Mercy…http://www.adcfmom.org/Schedule.html.
While they do not have an event in Utah, there are some events coming to neighboring states. Keep checking their schedule to see if an event is coming close to you soon.
Next, I would call the National Association of Free Clinics:
Address 1800 Diagonal Road, Suite 600
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone 703-647-7427
Fax 866-875-3827
Email [email protected]
Unfortunately I didn’t see listings in Utah but they know of a resource that is available to you.
If you need further assistance, please let me know and I will try to find something for you.
One last idea…try your local Lion’s Club. They may know of a local source that isn’t widely reported.
I need free dentures and I have no job
Been looking for over a yeay for a job
I am a computer repair person
Michael,
The best thing for you to do is to follow the advice in this post:
Start with the National Association of Free Clinics, the American Dentists Care Foundation and the Dental Research Program directory. Check those websites against where you live (you didn’t mention in your post) to see if there are any free clinics or traveling road shows coming to your area.
I would also seek out a local branch of the Lion’s Club in your area to see if they know of any local programs that aren’t actively promoted.
my front teeth broke off so now i just have one in front, i have like 6or 7 that have broken off on the top, they hurt so bad. any way i need some denture program have no insurance or job or money, no car either so if anybody knows of charites in the contra costa county around pittsburg or antioch,i would appreciate the information. thanks
I had called and talked to the Ohio Dental Association and they had given me a phone number to call and based on your income you may be eligible to recieve free dentures after filling out the packet that they mail you. The place is called Dental Options and they may help in other states but it is worth a shot to call and see the number is 1-888-765-6789. I had called for my mother and she is eligible so thank you for the information that you had posted. The only thing is there is a waiting list so it may not be right away but she is going to get the help she needs!!!
Sarah,
That’s terrific. I know that it can be tough but with enough searching around you can find the help you need.
Thank you for posting because it is always nice to see how the information compiled here can help people.
Warm Regards,
Tony Rovere
Hi, I live in Chicago, Illinios and I’m looking for a free denture for my dad who’s 65 years old.
Rea,
You can start with some of the tips on this page. I would take Sarah’s advice above and contact your state dental association to see if they can offer assistance.
I took the liberty of looking up the Illinois State Dental Association for you and here is their contact information:
Illinois State Dental Association
1010 South Second Street
Springfield, Illinois 62704
(217) 525-1406
[email protected]
http://www.isds.org/
Good luck and if you need any other help let me know.
I am 62 on SS and live in Florida. I tried the links above and could find no clinics or research options near me. I am sadly in need of having at least two or three broken cavities surgically removed and possibly getting dentures. Any ideas on where to look in South Florida? I live about 1/2 an hour north of West Palm Beach.
Karen,
There are 2 options I would check…
1) The Florida State Dental Association-see if they have any options for you. Call them at 850.681.3629
2) The other would be to contact http://smileflorida.org/access/pdc.html to see if they can find a provider for you.
Good luck and if you need any other help please let me know.