Medicare does not cover most routine dental care, including cleanings, fillings, tooth extractions, dentures, and implants. There are a few exceptions for dental work tied to a covered medical procedure (like certain oral surgery). Medicare Supplement (AKA MEDIGAP) doesn’t cover traditional dental insurance as well but there are practical ways to add dental coverage alongside a Medigap plan.
Does Medicare Cover Routine Dental?
In most cases, no. Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) does not cover routine dental services such as cleanings, fillings, tooth extractions, dentures, dental plates, or implants. If you get these services, you pay all of the cost yourself unless you have separate dental coverage. Source: Medicare.gov.
Yes, many assumed dental came with Medicare but this is incorrect. If you still figuring out Medicare basics, our New to Medicare guide walks through what each part covers.
What Dental Services Does Medicare Cover?
Medicare may cover dental care when it is directly tied to a covered medical treatment, rather than as routine dental work. Covered situations include:
- Dental services you receive while admitted as a hospital inpatient, 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 tooth extraction to clear a mouth infection before cancer treatment such as chemotherapy.
- Dental or oral exams and infection treatment before and during covered dialysis if you have End-Stage Renal Disease.
When dental care is covered this way, it follows normal Medicare cost-sharing. Inpatient services fall under Part A, where the deductible is $1,736 per benefit period. Covered outpatient dental services fall under Part B, where you generally pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after meeting the Part B deductible. Source: Medicare.gov.
Does Medigap Cover Dental?
Medigap (Medicare Supplement) does not cover routine dental either. Medigap is built to fill the gaps in Original Medicare, meaning the deductibles, copays, and coinsurance left behind by Part A and Part B. Because Original Medicare does not pay for routine dental neither does Medigap.
So a Medigap plan will help with your share of a covered medical procedure that happens to involve the mouth (like the inpatient and pre-treatment situations above), but it will not pay for a cleaning, a crown, or a set of dentures. For a refresher on what Medigap is designed to do, see our Medigap overview.
Medigap Dental Add-Ons: How to Add Dental, Vision, and Hearing
The most common way our clients get dental coverage is a standalone dental plan that sits alongside their Medigap policy. These are separate insurance products, not part of Medigap.
Benefits, waiting periods, and annual limits vary by plan, so the right fit depends on how much dental work you expect and which dentists you want to work with. Most of our clients enroll directly in a Delta Dental plan.
💡 Tip: Some carriers like Humana, Mutual of Omaha and Aetna offer a denta product alongside their Medigap that you can select during the enrollment process.
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What About Medicare Advantage Dental?
Many Medicare Advantage (MA) plans bundle in some dental coverage, which is part of their appeal. That coverage is often capped at a low annual dollar limit and may require you to use the plan’s network of dentists, so it can fall short for major work like crowns, bridges, or implants.
Senior65 typically does not sell Medicare Advantage. We believe Medigap is a stronger long-term product for most seniors who can afford it, because of the broad doctor access and predictable costs. If you want an even-handed look at the tradeoffs, see our Medicare Advantage vs Medigap comparison.
How to Pay for Dental Care on Medicare
If you stay with Original Medicare and Medigap, you have a few realistic ways to handle dental costs:
- A standalone dental insurance plan (often bundled with vision and hearing) added to your existing coverage.
- A dental discount plan, which lowers the price of services at participating dentists rather than paying claims like insurance.
- Paying out of pocket and budgeting for routine cleanings and the occasional larger procedure.
- Community health centers and dental schools, which often offer lower-cost care.
Which approach makes sense depends on how much dental care you expect in a typical year and whether you have a dentist you want to keep.
Add Dental Coverage to Your Medigap Plan With Senior65
Original Medicare and Medigap give you excellent protection on the medical side, and a separate dental plan fills the gap on routine cleanings, fillings, and bigger procedures. Our team at Senior65 can quote Medigap and walk you through the dental, vision, and hearing add-ons in one call. Our help is always free, and by law no one can offer you a lower price on the same Medigap plan.
Call 800-930-7956 to speak with a licensed agent on our team at Senior65, or get a Medigap quote online to get started.