Does Medicare cover dental care?

It’s one of the most common questions people ask when they turn 65: will Medicare pay for the dentist? For routine care, the short answer is usually no, but there are options.

What Original Medicare doesn’t cover

Original Medicare (Parts A and B) generally does not cover routine dental care, including:

• Cleanings and checkups
• Fillings and extractions
• Dentures, bridges and implants

What it may cover

Medicare may pay for dental care when it’s closely tied to certain covered medical treatments. Examples include a dental exam and needed treatment before an organ transplant or heart valve surgery, and dental care related to some cancer treatments, such as radiation for head and neck cancer or chemotherapy. Coverage depends on your situation and the treatment, so ask your doctor and check with Medicare before you assume a service is covered.

Ways people get dental coverage

• Medicare Advantage plans. Some include dental coverage. What’s covered, how much the plan pays and whether you need to use certain dentists varies by plan and county, and can change every year. Always read the plan’s Evidence of Coverage before you enroll.
• Standalone dental insurance. You can buy a separate dental policy alongside Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan. Watch for waiting periods and yearly maximums.
• Dental discount plans. These aren’t insurance, but they offer reduced prices at participating dentists for a yearly fee.
• Plans for people with Medicare and Medicaid. Texas Medicaid’s dental benefits for most adults are very limited. But if you have both Medicare and Medicaid, some Medicare plans designed for people with both (called D-SNPs) include dental benefits.
• Community programs. Dental schools and community health centers sometimes offer care at lower cost.

Questions to ask before you choose

• Is my dentist accepted?
• Is there a yearly maximum, and is it enough for the work I may need?
• Are there waiting periods for major services like dentures or crowns?
• What will I pay for cleanings, fillings and dentures?

Dental needs are personal. Before you decide, compare what you’d actually pay for the care you expect to need. I can check the dental benefits of the plans I compare, along with your doctors and prescriptions.