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<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u201cLong term, more older adults are able to keep their teeth, avoid dentures, and have a healthy vibrant smile which positively impacts their overall health. Short term, we want to get people out of pain and make sure they have the best available dental care so that they can eat and smile,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Andersen\u2019s team spreads the word about Smile On 65+ in places where older adults come together for meals and other social activities. Dental Bingo and Dental Trivia are fun, interactive ways to raise awareness for the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Andersen shared, \u201cWe network with other agencies that serve older and lower-resourced adults. You will often find one of our community dental health coordinators at local health fairs and community events.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the services focus on older adults, they also zero in on a particular demographic that often lacks access to dental health care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnder this initiative were recommendations to improve access to dental care in Tennessee, paying particular attention to the needs of rural and underserved populations, one of those populations being the senior population in the state. Smile On 65+ helps remove barriers to affordable dental care for lower-income, dentally uninsured adults who are 65 years of age or older,\u201d Andersen said. \u201cWhile older adults may have access to health care, access to dental care can sometimes fall by the wayside. This may be due to costs, not having a dentist in their area, or the inability to travel to the appointments. Smile On 65+ attempts to eliminate these barriers to improve the overall health and well-being of our aging population.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Andersen continued to explain the impact of the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOlder adults are sometimes overlooked or discounted, but as people are living longer, it\u2019s important to recognize the critical link between dental health and overall health. There\u2019s a misconception that dental care becomes less important with age, but broken, painful, or missing teeth can significantly affect the quality of life, impacting confidence in one\u2019s smile and the ability to enjoy healthy foods.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n To qualify for the program, you must be a Tennessee resident at least 65 years old, be 200% at or below the poverty level, and have no comprehensive dental insurance. According to Andersen, the plan covers many dental procedures, including emergency care, exams, cleanings, X-rays, fillings, crowns, root canals, extractions, and removable dentures and partials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The program\u2019s community dental health coordinators, experts in dental health and outreach, offer personalized guidance and support. They help individuals find dental homes and may assist with transportation based on individual needs. Smile On 65+ contracts with partner clinics to provide care for its members, reimbursing these clinics for services rendered. The network is continuously expanding, especially in underserved areas, and many of the partner clinics also serve as safety net providers, offering sliding-scale fees for the uninsured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Smile On 65+ works to improve physical and dental health. By improving both long-term, older adults benefit socially and emotionally from their healthy smiles. Andersen said that several studies show that dental health greatly influences overall health and quality of life by simply impacting a person\u2019s general health and psychological state. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Thanks to Smile On 65+, more seniors can confidently share their smiles during life\u2019s big moments and everyday interactions. These revitalized smiles create cherished memories and underscore the vital role of dental health in overall well-being, influencing both confidence and quality of life. Like the individuals behind them, these smiles are treasures. GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" His smile fills the brightest scenes in the film of her life\u2019s memories. When Beth Andersen\u2019s wobbling bicycle steadied, and she rode independently down the driveway, it was there. When she told him about her first day of kindergarten, it was there. It\u2019s in the photos of her graduation from high school and college, at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":23681,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[69,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23677","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fayetteville","category-feature"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/fayetteville\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/01\/2-6-1024x683.png\")
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