Does Medicare Cover Dentures?

• by Christian Worstell
• September 13, 2023
• Reviewed by John Krahnert

Are Dentures covered under Medicare?

No, Original Medicare (Parts A and B) does not cover dentures or routine dental care, except when part of an emergency inpatient procedure. This means that you are responsible for 100 percent of the cost of dentures if you have Original Medicare.

Many Medicare Advantage (Medicare Part C) plans, however, may cover dentures and other routine dental procedures. Medicare Advantage plans may also cover other services related to getting dentures, such as transportation. 

What Medicare plan covers dentures?

Some Medicare Advantage plans may cover dentures and routine dental procedures such as dentist office visits and teeth cleanings.

Original Medicare will not cover dentures or routine dental care, and neither will Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans, typically.

Medicare Advantage insurance plans are sold by private insurance companies and combine the benefits of Medicare Part A and Part B (Original Medicare) into one single plan.

Some Medicare Advantage plans may provide additional benefits such as dental, vision and hearing coverage. Many Medicare Advantage plans also provide coverage for prescription drugs.

A Medicare Advantage plan that offers dental benefits may cover some dental services such as:

• Dentures
• Routine dental care
• Oral exams
• Teeth cleanings
• Fillings
• Tooth extractions
• Crowns
• Root canals

The dental benefits offered by Medicare Advantage plans may vary, so you should check with your insurance provider to learn more about your coverage.

Does Medicare Part B cover dentures?

Medicare Part B does not provide coverage for dentures.

Part B also does not cover routine dental services.  

When will Medicare Part A cover dentures?

Medicare Part A will not cover the cost of dentures.

Part A may cover certain dental services that are received in a hospital, such as emergency care following an injury or dental work that may be needed in preparation for a surgery. 

How much are dentures?

Dentures can cost anywhere from $100 to $4,000 dollars, depending on the type of dentures you get.¹

The amount that you pay for dentures may depend on the level of coverage provided by your Medicare Advantage plan.

First, you may have a monthly premium in order to belong to the plan. In 2021, the average premium for a Medicare Advantage plan with prescription drug coverage is $33.57 per month (roughly $402 per year).² 

Your Medicare Advantage plan may also have a deductible, which is the amount of money you must pay for covered services and items before your benefits kick in.

Lastly, you may have some coinsurance or copayment amount for your dentures, which is your portion of the cost-sharing after you meet your deductible.

When you consider potential cost of dentures, you may find that enrolling in a Medicare Advantage plan that includes dental benefits could help you save you money in the long run.

What types of dentures can be covered by Medicare Advantage?

Not all Medicare Advantage plans offer dental benefits. If your plan offers coverage for dental services, you can check directly with your plan to see how it might cover your dentures.

There are two primary types of dentures:³

• Removable dentures, which can be complete or partial, depending on the number of teeth that they are replacing
• Implant-retained dentures

Your dentist can help you decide which type of dentures you need based on your bone loss and other specific needs.

How much you pay out of pocket for your dentures depends on the Medicare Advantage plan you enroll in, as coverage and pricing varies widely from plan to plan.

How do I enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan?

If you are interested in learning more about Medicare Advantage plans, you can consider speaking with a licensed insurance agent who can help you compare plans that may be available in your area.

About the author

Christian Worstell is a senior Medicare and health insurance writer with MedicareAdvantage.com. He is also a licensed health insurance agent. Christian is well-known in the insurance industry for the thousands of educational articles he’s written, helping Americans better understand their health insurance and Medicare coverage.

Christian’s work as a Medicare expert has appeared in several top-tier and trade news outlets including Forbes, MarketWatch, WebMD and Yahoo! Finance.

Christian has written hundreds of articles for MedicareAvantage.com that teach Medicare beneficiaries the best practices for navigating Medicare. His articles are read by thousands of older Americans each month. By better understanding their health care coverage, readers may hopefully learn how to limit their out-of-pocket Medicare spending and access quality medical care.

Christian’s passion for his role stems from his desire to make a difference in the senior community. He strongly believes that the more beneficiaries know about their Medicare coverage, the better their overall health and wellness is as a result.

A current resident of Raleigh, Christian is a graduate of Shippensburg University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

If you’re a member of the media looking to connect with Christian, please don’t hesitate to email our public relations team at Mike@tzhealthmedia.com.

 

 

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