Coverage
Does Medicare Cover Root Canals?
- January 12, 2024
- Reviewed by John Krahnert
No, Original Medicare (Part A & Part B) does not cover root canals. Original Medicare doesn't cover routine dental care, such as exams, fillings, cleanings or tooth extractions.
Medicare Advantage plans (Medicare Part C) can cover benefits Original Medicare doesn't cover, but plans with dental benefits may not be available in all areas.
What dental services are covered by Original Medicare?
Original Medicare does not provide coverage for routine dental services, such as:
- Regular dental exams
- Fillings
- Cleanings
- Tooth extractions
- Dentures
- Root canals
Original Medicare will only cover a dental procedure if it is deemed medically necessary as part of a covered benefit.
For example, if you are hospitalized after suffering a fall that caused damage to your teeth or jaw, your inpatient hospital costs would be covered by Medicare Part A.
Medicare may cover a dental exam that is required as part of preparation for a surgery such as a procedure to treat cancer in the jaw. Medicare will cover the cost of the exam but may not cover all of the dental work that must be performed as a result of the exam.
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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.
