Does Medicare cover dental implants?

Does Medicare pay for dental implants?

No, not in most cases. Medicare.gov says that in most cases Medicare doesn't cover dental services like routine cleanings, fillings and tooth extractions (removals), or items like dentures and implants, and you pay all costs for non-covered services, including most dental services.

The rule comes from Section 1862(a)(12) of the Social Security Act and 42 CFR 411.15(i): Medicare doesn't pay for items and services in connection with the care, treatment, filling, removal or replacement of teeth or structures directly supporting the teeth. CMS defines the structures directly supporting the teeth as the periodontium, which includes the gingivae, the dentogingival junction, the periodontal membrane, the cementum and the alveolar bone (alveolar process and tooth sockets).

Does Medicare cover a dental procedure done in the hospital?

Sometimes, for the hospital services. Medicare may cover some dental services you get when you're admitted as a hospital inpatient for your dental procedure, either because of your underlying medical condition or the severity of the procedure. CMS describes this exception as covering inpatient hospital services connected to dental services when the patient requires hospitalization because of the underlying medical condition and clinical status, or the severity of the dental procedure.

Being in the hospital doesn't by itself change whether the dental procedure is covered: CMS's Medicare Benefit Policy Manual says the hospitalization or nonhospitalization of a patient has no direct bearing on the coverage or exclusion of a given dental procedure. Whether related services, like anesthesia and diagnostic X-rays, are covered depends on whether the primary dental procedure is covered.

When does Medicare cover dental services?

Medicare may cover specific inpatient or outpatient dental services that you must get because they're linked to the success of a covered medical treatment you need, like:

• 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 services like chemotherapy
• Treatment for a complication you experience while getting head and neck cancer treatment services
• Dental or oral exams, and medically necessary tests and treatments to remove an oral or dental infection, before and while getting Medicare-covered dialysis services, if you have End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)

What does Medicare require for a dental service to count as linked to medical care?

CMS says the providers involved, like a doctor and a dentist, must coordinate care, for example through a referral or an exchange of information, and the coordination must be documented in the medical record. If there's no documented evidence of that exchange of information between the providers furnishing the medical services and the dental services, Medicare won't cover and pay for the dental services. Medicare also makes no payment for dental services linked to other services Medicare doesn't cover. See Medicare's dental care rules.

What do I pay for dental implants and other dental care?

You pay all costs for non-covered services, including implants in most cases. For Part B-covered dental services, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after you meet the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026), and if you get the covered 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 in 2026, you pay the $1,736 Part A deductible for each benefit period, then $0 each day for days 1-60.

Can Medicare Advantage, Medigap or Medicaid help pay for dental care?

Some Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans may cover and pay for routine and other dental services as an added benefit, so check with the plan to find out what dental services it covers. Medicare Advantage plans must cover all medically necessary services that Original Medicare covers, and rules and costs vary by plan. Medigap (Medicare Supplement Insurance) plans generally don't cover dental care.

If you have both Medicare and Medicaid, some states may cover and pay for routine and other dental services, so check with your state Medicaid agency to find out what dental services are covered. See Medicare and dentures for the related rules on dentures.