About Your Teeth: Understanding Medicare Dental Coverage

Written By: Helena Foutz, RSSA

Some Medicare Advantage plans include dental coverage, but Original Medicare only covers dental in extreme situations, like if you’re having cancer treatment or an organ implant. You’re on your own for regular teeth cleanings, crowns, cavities, etc. I like to tell people, “Medicare only covers you from the neck down!” So what should you do?

If you already have a dentist and want to keep your dentist, find out which insurance is accepted. Do they take HMOs, like Delta or Liberty Dental? Or do they accept only PPOs? This is an important question, since there’s a major cost difference.

Another question is, do you have any deferred maintenance going on? California and many other states have a “Missing Tooth Clause,” meaning if you get insurance after you’ve already lost a tooth, the insurance won’t pay for that tooth!

Types of Dental Insurance

If you know you’d already like a PPO plan and wonder how much to get, ask the dentist. The good news is, you can get dental insurance at any time of year, it’s always open enrollment for your teeth!