Alabama Pregnancy Medicaid dental coverage is available to pregnant recipients age 21 and older, and it pays for exams, cleanings, fillings, extractions, root canals, and standard crowns at no cost to you.1Alabama Medicaid. Dental Program The benefit started October 1, 2022. One catch worth knowing up front: dental coverage ends about 60 days after you deliver, even though your other Medicaid benefits continue for a full 12 months postpartum.2Alabama Medicaid Agency. Postpartum Extension, Dental Coverage, and Other Changes
What Dental Services Are Covered
The pregnancy dental benefit is broader than most Medicaid adult dental programs. Covered services include:
- Routine oral exams, limited to once every six months
- Diagnostic X-rays
- Adult cleanings (prophylaxis), once every six months
- Fillings for cavities
- Extractions of damaged or infected teeth
- Root canals
- Standard crowns and buildups
A comprehensive oral exam is a once-per-lifetime service per provider, so if you’ve already had one with your dentist, your follow-up visits will be billed as periodic exams.3Alabama Medicaid Agency. Alabama Medicaid Dental Program Overview You pay nothing out of pocket for pregnancy-related services, dental included, as long as you see an Alabama Medicaid-enrolled dentist.4Alabama Medicaid Agency. Alabama Medicaid Covered Services and Copayments
What’s Not Covered
Several categories are explicitly excluded:
- Orthodontics, including braces
- Dentures, partials, and bridgework
- Gold crowns and all-porcelain crowns (only standard crown materials qualify)
- Periodontal (gum) surgery
- Purely cosmetic procedures
If you have emergency Medicaid rather than full Pregnancy Medicaid, your dental coverage is restricted to emergency treatment only.5Alabama Medicaid Agency. Medicaid Non-Covered Services And if you’re in the Presumptive Eligibility for Pregnancy period while waiting on your full application, dental services aren’t available yet; that temporary coverage only pays for ambulatory prenatal care.6Alabama Medicaid Agency. Provider FAQs for Presumptive Eligibility for Pregnancy
How Long Your Dental Coverage Lasts
Dental benefits run through the end of the calendar month in which your 60th postpartum day falls.3Alabama Medicaid Agency. Alabama Medicaid Dental Program Overview After that date, dental coverage ends even though the rest of your Medicaid continues for 12 months after delivery.
This window matters for anyone planning more than a cleaning. Root canals and crowns usually take multiple visits spread over weeks, and if treatment isn’t finished before the dental benefit ends, you’ll be paying for the remaining appointments yourself. Schedule major work in the first or second trimester when you have the most runway.
Finding a Dentist and Booking a Visit
The dentist has to be enrolled with Alabama Medicaid. Use the provider search tool on the Alabama Medicaid Agency website, or call the Recipient Call Center at (800) 362-1504 to request a list of participating dentists near you.
When you call to book, say you’re on Alabama Pregnancy Medicaid. Bring your Medicaid card and a photo ID to the appointment. The office will also ask you to sign and date an attestation confirming you’re pregnant or within the postpartum window; your dentist keeps this on file for billing and has to renew it each year if your coverage carries into a new one.7Alabama Medicaid Agency. FAQ Dental for Pregnant Recipients Over 21
Who Qualifies for Pregnancy Medicaid
If you aren’t enrolled yet, Alabama Pregnancy Medicaid requires Alabama residency, U.S. citizenship or satisfactory immigration status, and a medically verified pregnancy.8Alabama Medicaid Agency. Medicaid Eligibility Handout Household income must be at or below 146% of the Federal Poverty Level, which already includes a 5% income disregard. The unborn child counts as a household member, which raises the income ceiling in your favor.
For 2026, the monthly income limits are:9Alabama Medicaid Agency. Medicaid Income Limits for 2026
- Household of 1: $1,942
- Household of 2: $2,633
- Household of 3: $3,324
You can apply online at insurealabama.adph.state.al.us, by mail, by phone at (800) 362-1504, or in person at a county health department, a federally qualified health center, or a hospital that processes applications.10Alabama Medicaid. Alabama Medicaid for Pregnant Women Full enrollment unlocks the dental benefit.