Does Medicare Cover Orthodontic Services (Braces, Aligners)?

Does Original Medicare cover braces or orthodontic treatment?

Original Medicare does not cover orthodontic services — including traditional metal braces, ceramic braces, and clear aligners like Invisalign — when the treatment is routine or cosmetic. Orthodontics is part of the larger group of "dental services" that Medicare excludes, alongside cleanings, fillings, tooth removals, dentures, and dental implants.

This exclusion applies to everyone on Original Medicare, including adults and seniors. There is no age-based or "medically necessary for crooked teeth" carve-out for ordinary orthodontic alignment. If you get braces or aligners for typical reasons, you pay the full cost yourself.

• Not covered: braces, clear aligners (Invisalign), retainers, and routine orthodontic visits
• Also not covered as routine dental: cleanings, fillings, extractions, dentures, implants
• You pay 100% of the cost for non-covered dental and orthodontic services

When might Medicare pay for dental or jaw treatment?

Original Medicare generally excludes services connected to the care, treatment, removal, or replacement of teeth or the structures that directly support the teeth. However, for dates of service on or after January 1, 2023, Medicare may pay — under Part A or Part B — for dental services that are "inextricably linked" to an otherwise covered medical service. That means the dental work is substantially related and integral to the clinical success of the covered medical procedure.

These are medical exceptions, not an orthodontic benefit. The closest scenarios to orthodontic or jaw-stabilization care that Medicare may cover are tied to treating a covered medical condition, not to straightening teeth.

• Stabilizing or immobilizing teeth as part of reducing a jaw fracture
• Dental splints, but only as part of covered treatment for a covered condition such as dislocated jaw joints
• Dental exams and treatment to clear infection before or at the same time as an organ or stem cell transplant, cardiac valve replacement, or valvuloplasty
• Dental/oral exams, infection control, and treatment of complications tied to Medicare-covered head and neck cancer treatment (radiation, chemotherapy, surgery, or a combination)

Is covered dental work paid under Part A or Part B?

When a covered dental service qualifies under the inextricably-linked rule, there is no separate "dental benefit." Instead, it is paid through your existing hospital or medical coverage. The service is paid under Part A if it is furnished by a dentist on the hospital's staff during a covered inpatient stay, or under Part B if it is performed by a physician on an outpatient basis.

This matters for your costs: you face standard Part A or Part B cost-sharing, not a flat dental copay. Whether the work is covered at all depends on its link to the covered medical procedure — so confirm the specifics with your providers and Medicare before treatment.

What would you pay out of pocket?

If a dental service is covered under the inextricably-linked rule, you pay the normal Medicare cost-sharing for the part of the program that pays it.

If the service is not covered (which includes essentially all routine and cosmetic orthodontics), you pay the entire bill yourself.

• Part B (outpatient): you pay the annual Part B deductible of $283 in 2026, then 20% coinsurance of the Medicare-approved amount. The standard Part B premium is $202.90/month in 2026.
• Part A (inpatient): the inpatient hospital deductible of $1,736 per benefit period applies in 2026.
• Non-covered orthodontics: you pay 100% of the cost out of pocket.

Can Medicare Advantage or Medigap cover orthodontics?

A Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan can offer supplemental dental benefits that Original Medicare does not provide. CMS has confirmed that dental, vision, and hearing supplemental benefit offerings are expected to remain stable for 2026. However, orthodontic coverage is not guaranteed — if a plan offers it at all, the amount, limits, and rules vary plan by plan. Always confirm orthodontic specifics in the plan's Evidence of Coverage before enrolling.

Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policies do not cover dental, vision, hearing aids, or orthodontics. Medigap only helps pay your share of costs (deductibles, coinsurance) for services that Original Medicare already covers. It will not add an orthodontic benefit.

• Medicare Advantage: may include supplemental dental; orthodontic coverage varies by plan — confirm before you enroll
• Medigap: does not cover dental or orthodontics at all
• To compare plan dental benefits, use the official Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov/plan-compare

How to get orthodontic or dental coverage on Medicare

Because Original Medicare and Medigap exclude orthodontics, most people who want help with these costs look to other sources. Compare options carefully, since dental and orthodontic benefits differ widely.

When reviewing a Medicare Advantage plan, read the dental section line by line: many plans cover preventive or basic dental but exclude orthodontics, or cap the annual benefit at an amount that would only partially offset braces or aligners.

• Shop Medicare Advantage plans with dental benefits using the Medicare Plan Finder, and read each plan's Evidence of Coverage for orthodontic details
• Consider a standalone dental plan, which you can also compare through Medicare's tools
• Ask your providers whether your situation might qualify under the inextricably-linked medical rule before assuming any dental work is covered
• This guide is independent and is not affiliated with the federal government or Medicare