MediCal is California’s form of the public health insurance program known as Medicaid. For individuals and families who qualify, it provides access to free or significantly low-cost health care services. Qualification is based on income and resources, and as a public program, it is supported by both federal and state taxes.
MediCal can cover a wide range of dental services including diagnostics and preventive care, emergency dental, cavity care, periodontal disease prevention, prosthodontics and orthodontics. Eligibility for coverage is determined case by case, so you will need to make an appointment with a dental clinic that accepts MediCal dental for a dental examination. For some dental procedures, your dentist will be required to receive authorization from MediCal before providing treatment based on the evaluation.
MediCal dental coverage encompasses all dental procedures or services that are considered to be medically necessary. Broadly speaking, this comprises the treatment of conditions that cause pain or discomfort, as well as procedures to help prevent such conditions. Examples of specific dental procedures may include dental examinations and x-rays, root canal procedure, dental crowns, partial or full dentures, fillings, teeth cleaning, teeth extractions, scaling and root planing, oral surgery, braces (usually limited to children or severe cases) and emergency dental services. For qualifying California residents, MediCal dental can cover pediatric dentistry procedures for children as well as dental services for adults, seniors, families, pregnant women, and patients with disabilities.
What is denti cal?
Denti Cal is the dental side of the MediCal program, though the term has now largely been discarded and replaced with the term “MediCal dental”. If you have MediCal health care coverage, you also have dental coverage through MediCal dental, or “Denti Cal”.
denti cal providers
A Denti Cal provider is a dentist who is a MediCal-enrolled provider. Our dental clinic located at Huntington Beach is a Denti Cal provider with extensive experience working with the MediCal dental program. Our goal is to provide our patients with the highest quality dental care while keeping out-of-pocket costs to a minimum.
Information about Denti Cal providers can be found on the California Department of Health Care Services website’s “Dental Providers” page.