Note - These services fall under Services you can get through Fee-For-Service (FFS) Medi-Cal or other programs.
Keep your baby’s gums clean by gently wiping the gums with a washcloth every day. At about four to six months, “teething” will begin as the baby teeth start to come in.
You should make an appointment for your child’s first dental visit as soon as their first tooth comes in or by their first birthday, whichever comes first.
The following Medi-Cal dental services are free or low-cost services for:
Babies ages 1 to 4
- Baby’s first dental visit
- Baby’s first dental exam
- Dental exams (every 6 months, and sometimes more)
- X-rays
- Teeth cleaning (every 6 months, and sometimes more)
- Fluoride varnish (every 6 months, and sometimes more)
- Fillings
- Extractions (Tooth removal)
- Emergency dental services
- *Sedation (if medically necessary)
Kids ages 5-12
- Dental exams (every 6 months, and sometimes more)
- X-rays
- Fluoride varnish (every 6 months, and sometimes more)
- Teeth cleaning (every 6 months, and sometimes more)
- Molar sealants
- Fillings
- Root canals
- Extractions (Tooth removal)
- Emergency dental services
- *Sedation (if medically necessary)
Kids ages 13-20
- Dental exams (every 6 months, and sometimes more)
- X-rays
- Fluoride varnish (every 6 months, and sometimes more)
- Teeth cleaning (every 6 months, and sometimes more)
- Orthodontics (braces) for those who qualify
- Crowns
- Fillings
- Root canals
- Extractions (Tooth removal)
- Emergency services
- Sedation (if medically necessary)
*Providers should consider sedation and general anesthesia when they determine and document a reason local anesthesia is not medically appropriate, and the dental treatment is pre-approved or does not need pre-approval (prior authorization).
These are some of the reasons local anesthesia cannot be used and sedation or general anesthesia might be used instead:
- Physical, behavioral, developmental or emotional condition that blocks the patient from responding to the provider’s attempts to perform treatment
- Major restorative or surgical procedures
- Uncooperative child
- Acute infection at an injection site
- Failure of a local anesthetic to control pain
If you have questions or want to learn more about dental services, visit the Medi-Cal Dental Program website or call 1-800-322-6384 (TTY 1-800-735-2922 or 711).