Dental Care Medicare: What’s Covered and What’s Not

When you think of Dental care Medicare, the portion of Medicare that relates to oral health services, including cleanings, fillings, and dentures. Also known as Medicare dental benefits, it is one of the biggest gaps in traditional Medicare coverage. Most people assume Medicare takes care of everything health-related—but it doesn’t touch routine dental work. Not cleanings. Not fillings. Not crowns. Not even dentures. That’s not a loophole. It’s the law. And it catches a lot of seniors off guard.

So what does Medicare cover when it comes to your mouth? Only if the dental work is tied to a medical emergency. Like if you break your jaw in a fall and need surgery to put it back together—that’s covered. Or if you’re getting radiation for oral cancer and need a tooth extraction beforehand to prevent infection—Medicare will pay for that. But if you’ve got a cavity, a loose crown, or your dentures are rubbing raw? You’re on your own. That’s where Medicare Advantage plans, private insurance options that bundle Medicare with extra benefits like dental, vision, and hearing. Also known as Medicare Part C, they offer the only realistic path to dental coverage under Medicare. Not all of them include dental, and the coverage varies wildly—from two cleanings a year to $1,500 in annual benefits. You’ve got to dig into the fine print. And even then, there are often waiting periods, annual caps, and networks you have to stick to.

Then there’s the real issue: oral health Medicare, how your mouth affects your overall well-being as you age. Also known as geriatric dentistry, it isn’t just about chewing food—it’s about managing diabetes, heart disease, and even dementia. Gum disease raises your risk of stroke. Missing teeth change how you swallow and speak. Poor oral hygiene leads to infections that land seniors in the hospital. But because Medicare won’t pay for prevention, most people wait until it hurts—then pay out of pocket or skip care altogether. That’s why so many seniors end up with full-mouth extractions and ill-fitting dentures they can’t keep in. It’s not just expensive. It’s unnecessary.

You’re not stuck. There are workarounds. Discount dental plans. Community clinics. Dental schools. Veterans’ benefits. Some state programs. And yes, even some nonprofit groups that help low-income seniors get basic care. The key is knowing where to look before you need it. This collection of posts doesn’t just list options—it shows you how real people navigated this mess. You’ll find stories about people who got dentures for under $300, how to spot a scam dental clinic, why your Medicare Advantage plan might be worse than nothing, and what questions to ask your dentist before you agree to anything. No fluff. No marketing. Just what works—and what doesn’t—when you’re on Medicare and your teeth are falling apart.