Aging Teeth, Broken System: Why Senior Dental Care Breaks the Bank

Through a personal toothache, the columnist shows that Medicare barely covers senior dental care and Medi-Cal reimbursements are limited, leaving many 65+ with high out-of-pocket costs, long delays, or no care at all; some travel to Mexico or Costa Rica for cheaper implants and crowns, while policy debates threaten to slash Medi-Cal funding, worsening access and driving preventable emergencies.