Play all audios:
No. Medicare doesn’t cover dentures, even though nearly 1 in 8 U.S. adults 65 or older report having no remaining teeth, according to a 2020 study from the federal Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC). In fact, Medicare doesn’t cover routine dental care or most dental procedures. THE COST OF DENTURES VARIES WIDELY based on the material, type of dentures, where
you need them and where you live. Expect to pay $1,500 to $3,000 for either lower removable or upper removable dentures, the traditional false teeth that rest on top of the gums and are
held in place with adhesive, according to Delta Dental’s cost estimator. THE PRICE INCREASES SIGNIFICANTLY for more extensive procedures, such as implant-supported dentures. This type of
denture fits into tiny titanium posts inserted into your jawbone to prevent slippage and potential bone loss associated with long-term denture use. YOU’LL PROBABLY FACE ADDITIONAL FEES for
teeth extraction, at least for your first set of dentures. Even though Medicare passes on covering almost all things dental, you may be able to get some coverage for dentures or at least
discounted rates from other sources. DOES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE COVER DENTURES? Yes. In 2024, 97 percent of private Medicare Advantage plans provide dental coverage, according to KFF. Some pay
only for routine dental care while others allow for more extensive dental services, including dentures. More than three-quarters of Medicare Advantage enrollees in dental plans that provided
extensive dental services had coverage for periodontics and/or prosthodontics, according to KFF’s most recent study of Medicare Advantage dental benefits in 2021. Periodontics is the
prevention and treatment of gum and tooth diseases. Prosthodontics is dentistry that specializes in making replacements for missing or damaged teeth; including dentures, dental bridges,
implants and other false teeth. Typically, plans that cover dentures limit coverage to one set every five years. But coverage details and out-of-pocket costs vary widely. In the 2021 KFF
study, plans covering dentures charged a fixed-dollar copayment ranging from $0 to $500 or coinsurance rates of 50 to 70 percent of the cost for in-network providers. Most plans annually cap
extensive dental services, averaging $1,300, according to the KFF study, but 8 percent of the plans had a coverage cap of $2,000 to $5,000. This cap usually didn’t apply to routine and
preventive dental care.