Is dental insurance worth it in retirement?

Maintaining your oral health is important for your general health and well-being. Having access to coverage may make you more likely to access preventative care and deal with unexpected dental issues quickly.

Our dental insurance provides peace of mind that you will be covered if you need unplanned dental care beyond routine polishing and exams. It also covers you while travelling. We’ve put together some considerations to help you decide whether you need dental insurance for retirement.

Things to think about when considering dental insurance for retirement

Have you had non-routine dental issues in the past?

Your oral health history is one factor to consider when deciding if insurance is right for you. If you’ve experienced dental issues in the past or have oral health concerns like gum disease or gum recession, you may benefit from continuing your coverage in retirement. Even relatively common oral health issues, like gingivitis, can lead to more significant concerns if not managed.

Do you have overall health concerns that might impact your oral health?

When deciding whether you want dental coverage, take your overall physical health and habits into account. Smoking, diet and even conditions like diabetes can impact your oral health over time.

How often do you plan to travel in retirement?

Unfortunately, dental issues can happen on vacation too! Our plan provides coverage while you’re travelling. How frequently you’ll travel is something to consider

Do you want the peace of mind that you’ll have coverage if something unexpected happens?

While your dental insurance will help cover the costs of things you plan for—like routine polishing, fluoride and exams— the purpose of insurance is actually for the things you don’t plan. For example, depending on the province and provider,  a crown can cost between $850 and $1500 and a root canal procedure can range from $600 to $2000.

Will you budget for dental costs?

Provincial health plans don’t cover dental care, so without insurance, you’ll need to budget for the expenses. You can call your dentist to determine your basic annual dental costs for polishing, scaling, x-rays and exams. But, there’s never a guarantee you will only need those services, so it’s a good idea to also have funds available for unplanned dental services.

Bottom line: You have insurance for what you can’t plan for! A benefit of insurance coverage is it’s a predictable, monthly amount that you can build into your budget.

Can I join the dental plan after I’m already retired?

Yes, you can join the dental plan after retirement.

If you’re applying for coverage within 60 days of your previous group insurance ending and meet our eligibility criteria, you’ll be automatically approved for our group plans. Usually, that’s 60 days after you retire, or your spouse retires if you’re covered under their plan.

If you are late in applying for dental coverage, acceptance is still guaranteed. For the first 12 months of coverage, you are limited to $500 per insured person for eligible dental services.

You have insurance options for retirement

If you’re preparing for retirement in Canada, choosing insurance is one of the tasks to take care of! Learn more about our dental insurance and other insurance plans for retirement. You may also like our insurance comparison shopping checklist to help you evaluate insurance plans for retirement.

RTOERO members are able to join our plans—if you work in the education sector in Canada, you can become a member today and your membership is free until retirement!