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Finding a Medicaid dentist in Brooklyn
New York has some of the most generous Medicaid dental coverage in the country, and recent expansions added back services that were once excluded. If you qualify for NY Medicaid, you can get real dental care in Brooklyn — here's what's covered and how to find a dentist who accepts it.
Does NY Medicaid cover dental care for adults?
Yes. New York Medicaid covers comprehensive dental care for eligible adults and children, including routine exams, cleanings, X-rays, fillings, extractions, root canals, dentures and partials. Following coverage expansions, NY Medicaid now also covers services that were previously restricted — including crowns and dental implants — when they are medically necessary, with certain clinical criteria. Children enrolled in Medicaid or Child Health Plus receive a full range of preventive and restorative dental benefits. To use the coverage, you need to find a dentist or clinic in Brooklyn that participates in Medicaid (many community health centers and hospital dental clinics do), confirm they accept your specific Medicaid plan, and bring your Medicaid ID. Coverage details can change, so verify current benefits with NY State Medicaid or your managed-care plan before treatment.
Who qualifies for NY Medicaid?
Medicaid eligibility in New York is based mainly on income and household size, with higher thresholds for children, pregnant people, and certain adults. Many working New Yorkers qualify and don't realize it. You can check eligibility and apply through the NY State of Health marketplace or your local Department of Social Services. Children almost always have a pathway to coverage through Medicaid or Child Health Plus.
What NY Medicaid dental covers
NY Medicaid dental is broad compared with most states. Covered services for eligible members generally include:
- Preventive: exams, cleanings, X-rays, fluoride and sealants (especially for kids)
- Basic restorative: fillings and simple/surgical extractions
- Root canals on many teeth
- Crowns where medically necessary (criteria apply)
- Dentures and partials to restore function
- Implants in qualifying medically necessary cases, following recent expansion of coverage
- Comprehensive pediatric dental for children
Some services require prior approval, and purely cosmetic work isn't covered. Always confirm a specific procedure is covered before treatment, because clinical criteria and prior-authorization rules apply.
How to find a Brooklyn dentist that takes Medicaid
- Check your managed-care plan's directory. Most NY Medicaid members are in a managed-care plan (like Fidelis, Healthfirst, MetroPlus, EmblemHealth). Use your plan's online "find a dentist" tool and filter for Brooklyn.
- Try community health centers (FQHCs). Brooklyn has many federally qualified health centers with dental departments that accept Medicaid and see uninsured patients on a sliding scale.
- Look at hospital dental clinics. Several Brooklyn hospitals run dental clinics that participate in Medicaid.
- Consider dental schools. NYU College of Dentistry and Columbia accept many Medicaid members and offer reduced-fee care.
- Call to confirm. Always phone the office and confirm they currently accept your exact Medicaid plan and are taking new patients.
Medicaid for children in Brooklyn
Children's dental coverage under Medicaid and Child Health Plus is comprehensive: checkups, cleanings, fluoride, sealants, fillings, and orthodontics when medically necessary. The American Dental Association recommends a child's first dental visit by their first birthday, and these visits are covered. See our pediatric dentist guide for finding the right kids' dentist.
If you don't qualify for Medicaid
If your income is just above the Medicaid line, you still have affordable routes: dental savings plans, CareCredit, community clinics and dental schools. And if you're weighing major work like implants or full-mouth restoration, it's worth comparing a US quote against care abroad.