This one has a short answer and a longer one, and the longer one matters if you are approaching or past retirement.
The short answer
Original Medicare, meaning Part A and Part B, does not cover routine dental care, and that includes implants. This surprises a great many people at exactly the wrong moment.
There are narrow exceptions where dental treatment is inseparable from a covered medical procedure, such as jaw reconstruction after an accident or dental clearance before certain cardiac or transplant surgery.
Where Medicare Advantage differs
Many Medicare Advantage plans do include a dental benefit, and some include implants. But the annual caps are usually modest, often a few thousand dollars at most, against treatment that can run far higher.
If you have an Advantage plan, read the specific dental schedule rather than the summary. The word implant appearing in the brochure does not tell you how much is actually covered.
What this means practically
Most people over 65 needing implants are paying for most of it themselves. That is the honest position, and it is worth knowing before you plan rather than after.
Why it pushes people to look abroad
It is not really a coincidence that dental travel skews heavily toward this age group. When insurance covers little and the need is greatest, the cost difference stops being abstract.
Check your specific plan documents, not a summary, and get any pre-authorisation in writing. Then decide with real numbers in front of you.
Questions about your own case? Send us your photos and we will walk you through the options.
