Dental Coverage
Your child's dental plan provides dental services including services that help prevent tooth decay and services that fix dental problems.
The 3 dental plans for children on Medicaid are: DentaQuest®, MCNA Dental and UnitedHealthcare® Dental. Call or visit your child's Medicaid dental plan website to learn more about the services they offer.
- DentaQuest: 1-800-516-0165 or
- MCNA Dental: 1-800-494-6262 or
- UnitedHealthcare Dental: 1-800-822-5353 or
Types of Dental Care
Ever wonder what’s the difference between a dental emergency or urgent dental care? Find out about the types of dental care and when to seek care.
Dental Emergency
Most dental problems are not "emergencies." An emergency means the dental problem is life-threatening. Examples of a dental emergency:
- Broken tooth
- Knocked-out tooth
- Toothache with swelling (possible infection)
If you have a dental emergency, first call your dentist. Your dentist will tell you if you should come in to get dental care or go to an emergency room (ER).
Urgent Dental Care
An urgent dental problem is when you need to be seen the same day, but it isn't serious enough to go to the ER. Call your dentist for urgent dental care. If you cannot be seen right away, you can call the Customer Advocate Department for your plan to get help finding urgent dental care.
Non-Urgent Dental Care
A non-urgent dental problem is when you have symptoms but don't need to go to a dentist the same day. Call your dentist for non-urgent dental care.
Routine Dental Care
Routine care is a regular dental check-up. Or it's a dental condition that is not causing problems or pain. Call your dentist to schedule routine dental care.
Prior Approval for Dental Care
Some dental care requires prior approval. You must have approval before getting treatment. Without approval, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas will not pay for the service. Call for approval before your appointment. For more information, check your Member Handbook. Or call the Customer Advocate Department for your plan.
Value-Added Dental Services for Adult Members
BCBSTX offers extra dental services called Value-Added Services (VAS) to our adult members on the CHIP Perinate and STAR plans (age 21 and older). Learn more about VAS dental services for these members.
DentaQuest, MCNA Dental and UnitedHealthcare Dental are independent companies that provide dental benefits for children on Texas Medicaid or CHIP. The state of Texas contracts directly with these dental providers. These providers do not offer Blue products or services and are solely responsible for the products and services that they provide.