Medicare does not cover dental services primarily needed for the health of your teeth, such as routine checkups, cleanings, fillings, dentures, or tooth extractions. You will be responsible for the full cost of these services unless you have private dental coverage or access low-cost dental resources.

Some Medicare Advantage Plans may offer coverage for routine dental services like checkups or cleanings. If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, check with your provider about the dental services covered.

While Medicare does not pay for dental care focused on oral health, it does offer limited coverage for dental services necessary to protect general health or support other Medicare-covered treatments. Examples of covered services include oral examinations before procedures like kidney transplants or heart valve replacements, dental care related to radiation treatment for jaw diseases like oral cancer, ridge reconstruction after facial tumor removal, surgery for jaw or facial fractures, and dental splints after jaw surgery.

It's important to note that Medicare will not cover follow-up dental care after treating the underlying health condition. For instance, if Medicare paid for a tooth extraction during surgery to repair a facial injury from a car accident, it won't cover any future dental needs resulting from that extraction.

Medicare may cover dental-related hospitalizations in certain cases where observation is required during a dental procedure due to a health-threatening condition. While Medicare will cover hospitalization costs, it does not cover the fees for the dentist's treatment or other physician fees, and it does not cover dental services excluded from Original Medicare even if incurred in a hospital setting.

If you need dental care, consider looking into resources or insurance options that can help cover the costs. FAIR Health's consumer cost lookup tool can provide estimates of typical charges for different dental services in your area.