What's not covered by Original Medicare
Original Medicare excludes routine dental care almost entirely. That includes preventive cleanings, fillings, root canals, dentures, bridges, crowns, and tooth extractions when the reason is dental rather than medical. There are narrow exceptions — Medicare may cover dental care that's directly tied to a medical procedure (for example, dental clearance before organ transplant or radiation therapy for jaw cancer) — but for the everyday dentistry most beneficiaries need, Original Medicare pays nothing.
What Medicare Advantage typically covers in Ohio
Most 2026 Medicare Advantage plans in Ohio include some dental benefits. Coverage usually breaks into two tiers:
- Preventive dental — cleanings, exams, X-rays — often covered at $0 copay up to 2 visits per year. Most MA plans in Ohio include this.
- Comprehensive dental — fillings, extractions, root canals, crowns, dentures — covered by a smaller subset of plans, usually with an annual allowance ($1,000–$3,000) and a network of contracted dentists.
Important: the dental benefit may be administered by a separate dental network from your MA medical network. Verify your dentist is in the plan's dental network specifically, not just the medical network.
Options for Original Medicare beneficiaries in Ohio
- Standalone dental insurance — private dental plans available from insurers and through dental discount programs. Premiums typically $15–$50/month. Often have waiting periods for major work.
- Dental schools — Ohio State College of Dentistry (Columbus) and Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine (Cleveland) offer reduced-cost care provided by supervised students.
- Dental discount programs — not insurance, but provide reduced fees at participating dentists for an annual membership fee.
- Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) — many Ohio FQHCs offer sliding-scale dental services for limited-income patients.
- Self-pay — for those who can afford it, paying cash often gets a discount and avoids insurance overhead.