Does Medicare cover dental care?

What dental care doesn't Medicare cover?

In most cases, Original Medicare doesn't cover dental services like routine cleanings, fillings and tooth extractions (removals), or items like dentures and implants. You pay all costs for non-covered services, including most dental services, unless you have other health coverage that pays, or you're in a Medicare Advantage Plan, Medicare Cost Plan or Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) plan that covers dental care.

When does Medicare cover dental services?

Medicare may cover dental services in two kinds of cases: when you're admitted to the hospital for your dental procedure, and when the dental service is linked to the success of a covered medical treatment you need. Medicare may cover:

• Some dental services you get when you're admitted as a hospital inpatient for your dental procedure, because of your underlying medical condition or the severity of the procedure
• An oral exam and dental treatment before a heart valve replacement or a bone marrow, organ or kidney transplant
• A procedure, like a tooth extraction, to treat a mouth infection before cancer treatment such as chemotherapy
• Treatment for a complication you have while getting head and neck cancer treatment
• Dental or oral exams before and while you get Medicare-covered dialysis, if you have End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)
• Medically necessary tests and treatments to remove an oral or dental infection before and while you get Medicare-covered dialysis, if you have ESRD

What do I pay for Medicare-covered dental care?

For Part B-covered dental services, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after you meet the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026). If you get the service in an outpatient hospital or other facility setting, you also pay a copayment to the facility.

For a Part A-covered inpatient hospital stay, what you pay for each benefit period in 2026 depends on how long you're in the hospital:

• Days 1-60: $0 each day after you pay the $1,736 Part A deductible
• Days 61-90: $434 each day
• Days 91-150: $868 each day while you use your 60 lifetime reserve days
• After day 150: all costs

Does Medicare Advantage cover dental care?

Some Medicare Advantage plans do, as an extra benefit. Medicare Advantage plans must cover all medically necessary services that Original Medicare covers, and plans may also offer extra benefits that Original Medicare doesn't cover, like some dental services; rules and costs vary by plan, so check what a plan covers before you join. See how Medicare Advantage differs from Original Medicare.

Does Medigap pay for dental care?

Medigap plans generally don't cover dental care. A Medigap (Medicare Supplement Insurance) policy helps pay your share of costs, like copayments, coinsurance and deductibles, for services Original Medicare covers.