Free prosthetics for pensioners: how to receive benefits and compensation

Even if you have always had healthy and strong teeth, over time irreversible processes begin to occur in the body. In old age, 70% of people need to have their teeth restored. The absence of teeth is unpleasant not only from the aesthetic side. Their poor condition or absence negatively affects the state of health, violate the usual diet, affect the work of the gastrointestinal tract. Unfortunately, dental services are a costly procedure. The size of the pension does not allow the elderly to pay for expensive dental treatment. Not all seniors are familiar with the possibilities of modern dentistry and the benefits of dentures for seniors that they can get. Let’s understand in order where to start, where to turn, what benefits can be used, how to choose the right clinic and what options for restoring teeth exist at the moment.

Where to start treatment

Dental prosthetics for pensioners has a number of peculiarities. At an advanced age, it is a complex and delicate procedure. A careful and careful approach to treatment is required.

Start by visiting a dental outpatient clinic and get a consultation with a dentist. After the examination, the doctor will tell you if dentures can be done and what pre-treatment is needed. Before getting dentures fitted, get a medical examination. Ageing patients usually have a number of chronic diseases and a weak immune system.

Pay attention to contraindications: allergic reactions to anesthesia and substances that are used in dental prosthetics. It is not recommended to carry out treatment during exacerbation of diseases of the cardiovascular system and respiratory organs. It is necessary to eliminate inflammatory processes in the oral cavity (stomatitis, bleeding gums). In state or municipal dentistry, you can receive treatment under the OMC policy. After treatment, visit an orthopedic dentist and discuss what type of prosthesis and what material would be suitable in your case.

Prosthetic dentures cannot be done under the OMC policy. But for pensioners, citizens of Russia, social programs have been adopted, under which it is possible to install dentures free of charge.

Who is on the list for benefits

In the department of social security at the place of residence you will tell you what prosthetics for pensioners is free. The procedure for providing free services is regulated by federal law, regardless of where you live. The Federal Law “On State Social Assistance” has a basic list of those who have a basis for receiving free services at the expense of the state budget. Free assistance is provided by:

war participants;
heroes of the Soviet Union;
victims of Stalinist repressions;
veterans of labor.

Free prosthetics for pensioners in individual constituent entities of the Russian Federation has its own peculiarities and is regulated by regional laws.

The following can apply for free prosthetics services:

disabled persons of 1 and 2 groups;
Beneficiaries who were on the waiting list for preferential prosthetics up to and including January 1, 2005;
Disabled persons of the Chernobyl NPP accident;
pensioners after working in state bodies and power structures;
old-age pensioners with the provision of a certificate on the absence of additional income.

Taking into account the number of quotas, citizens from the first federal list always have advantages.

In each individual region, additional benefits may be approved. For example, dental prosthetics for pensioners in Moscow at benefits and a reduced price is possible for the following citizens:

home front workers;
honorary donors;
mothers of many children who have given birth to and brought up 5 or more children;
non-working pensioners.

Allocation of the quota is given according to the waiting list. The right of first priority is granted to those who are included in the general federal list regardless of region. Depending on belonging to one or another category of beneficiaries, the package of documents may vary. The full list should be clarified at your place of residence.

Peculiarities of granting a quota

If social security confirms the basis for dental prosthetics under preferential conditions, you will be given a coupon for applying to a state or municipal medical institution. The voucher is valid from 2 weeks to six months. If you do not use the voucher at the appointed time, the waiting list is lost. The beneficiary is not allowed to choose a clinic. The medical institution is assigned at the place of residence, the name of the clinic and the address are noted on the voucher.

Free prosthetics for pensioners are provided in state and municipal dental clinics. Under the quota, you will only have dentures made and placed. Treatment is paid separately. No expensive materials are used in prosthetics. Such as ceramics, metal-ceramics and implant prosthetics. In some cases, for example, in case of allergies, the doctor may recommend more modern and expensive materials. If such a decision is made, the patient will have to pay extra for consumables. Free prosthetics are provided only once every 5 years.

Required documents

To get in line, with the results of the examination, you need to go to the department of social protection at your place of residence or local administration. There you will be given an application form, which you need to fill out. Copies of the following documents are attached to the application:

the conclusion of medical experts about the need to install prosthetic teeth;
a copy of your passport;
pension or other ID card;
medical policy (OMC);
SNILS.

The list may be extended, depending on the privileged category.

If a pensioner cannot come himself due to health reasons, a guardian or a social worker will do it for him if there is a guardianship agreement. The entire list of documents will be provided by the social security authorities of your district.

Prosthetics or implants

Budgetary resources are limited and spent sparingly, so dentures for beneficiaries are made of simple, cheap materials. These are mostly removable dentures made of acrylic. In prosthetics, the design is fixed on the palate or with support on the patient’s living teeth. Any type has features and disadvantages. The peculiarity is that the prosthesis in any case helps to restore chewing function to a certain extent and improves the appearance of the oral cavity.

^{High-quality acrylic denture made in ROOTT Dentistry}

Disadvantages of removable structures:

regular maintenance with disinfectant solution 2 times a day;
difficult and long habituation, usually takes from 4 to 8 weeks;
short service life, approximately 5-7 years;
psychological discomfort associated with unfamiliar sensations.

The alternative is fixed structures. These include bridges and crowns. If possible, it is better to install them. They:

Comfortable. You don’t have to constantly remove and worry about shifting or losing them.
Reliable. Restore your smile and act as your natural teeth for 20-30 years.

^{Denture bridge prosthetics}

When placing a fixed bridge, it is important to have your own healthy teeth. The problem is that older people are missing most of their teeth, and the remaining teeth cannot always provide a strong support for fixed bridges. As they age, the gums and teeth become weak and mobile. Once the teeth are ground down, the natural function of the teeth is impaired and the tooth gradually deteriorates. After a few years, the question of replacing the denture may become relevant again.

In this case, the installation of implants is the optimal solution. This is a type of prosthetics in which the denture is fixed on specially implanted implant posts.

^{Dentures on implants at ROOTT Clinic (before and after photos)}

Implants have undeniable advantages:

are fixed in the bone tissue firmly and reliably;
act as a living tooth, which has a root;
look like natural teeth;
last up to 50 years with proper care.

Implants for seniors on a discounted basis are not currently possible. But there are options for compensation.

Guarantee obligations

The service for discounted prosthetics for pensioners provides for the conclusion of a contract between the social security authorities and the medical institution for warranty service. The term of the agreement is 6-12 months. If the work done by the doctor is out of order due to a medical error, the clinic is obliged to replace or make repairs at its own expense. The cause of the damage is determined by a special commission.

If you follow the dentist’s recommendations correctly, undergo regular preventive check-ups, and take good care of your dentures, the dentures will last from 3 to 10 years , depending on the type.

How to receive compensation for dentures for pensioners

The preferential social program does not include compensation payments. If you decide to make payment for dental services yourself, you can use:

Tax deduction for dentures for pensioners. Orthopedic prosthetics and implants are included in the list of expensive treatments. Therefore, the tax deduction is considered from the entire amount of expenses. If the pensioner continues to work, and pays tax on income, the tax deduction is returned in the amount of 13% of the amount paid. Non-working pensioners can, before prosthetics, conclude a contract with an officially working relative who is a resident of the Russian Federation and pays tax at the rate of 13%. In this case, the tax deduction for prosthetics will be returned to him at the end of the year, and he will return to the pensioner under the contract. The amount of the deduction is not limited^[1], but can not be more than the personal income tax for the whole year. To receive the payment, you need to inform the clinic and they will tell you what you need to do. It is possible to apply for three years.
Insurance for medical services. Take out insurance in an insurance company, in the contract of which compensation payments for dentures are specified.
A discount at a private clinic. At this time, the policy of private dental clinics is loyal and democratic. The quality of services in them is higher, the constructions are made of more modern materials. Guarantees are good and long-term, usually 1 year for dentures and lifetime for implants. Often clinics provide discounts for pensioners. This is why many retirees prefer to go to private clinics, having made an installment plan or tax deduction.

Don’t give up on the procedure because of complications. Of course, nothing can replace a natural tooth, but quality prosthetics will allow you to enjoy life with comfort and joy.

Sources:

^{[1]https://ria.ru/20210512/vychet-1732005139.html}