New Hampshire Medicaid Dental Coverage

Updated August 2026

Children enrolled in NH Medicaid receive dental services through the fee-for-service delivery system — not through the managed care plans that handle most other NH Medicaid services. This means you do not call your MCO (AmeriHealth Caritas, NH Healthy Families, or WellSense) for dental questions for your child. Instead, contact NH DHHS directly or use the Medicaid provider search for fee-for-service dental providers.

NH Smiles ($1,500/year limit, exams+preventive excluded)

Adult dental coverage

Full EPSDT (fee-for-service)

Children's dental coverage (under 21)

Northeast Delta Dental / DentaQuest

Adult dental administrator

Adult dental in New Hampshire is covered through the NH Smiles program, administered by Northeast Delta Dental and DentaQuest — children's dental is fee-for-service

New Hampshire Medicaid provides adult dental benefits through the NH Smiles program. NH DHHS selected Northeast Delta Dental, in partnership with DentaQuest, to administer the adult dental benefit — not the state's general medical managed care plans (AmeriHealth Caritas, NH Healthy Families, WellSense). Children's dental is delivered through fee-for-service, not managed care — a distinction that matters for finding providers. Call 1-844-583-6151 for adult dental benefit questions; call 1-844-275-3447 for children's dental questions.

Dental coverage for children (under 21)

The federal EPSDT mandate (42 U.S.C. § 1396d(r)) requires New Hampshire to cover all medically necessary dental services for members under 21. EPSDT sets a comprehensive floor — NH cannot cap the dental benefit for children below what is medically necessary.

Preventive oral exams and teeth cleanings
Fluoride treatments and dental sealants
Diagnostic X-rays
Fillings and restorations
Tooth extractions
Space maintainers for missing teeth
Root canal treatment on primary and permanent teeth
Orthodontic treatment when medically necessary
Emergency dental care
Oral surgery when medically necessary

Adult dental coverage: NH Smiles

New Hampshire provides adult dental benefits through the NH Smiles program, launched April 1, 2023 under HB 103 and SB 422. NH DHHS contracted with Northeast Delta Dental, in partnership with DentaQuest, to administer this benefit for Medicaid-eligible adults ages 21 and over. Not all states cover adult dental at all; NH Smiles positions New Hampshire as a state with a more complete adult dental benefit than the bare-minimum emergency-only coverage seen elsewhere.

Covered adult dental services through NH Smiles include X-rays and examinations, cleanings, fillings, limited gum-related treatment, tooth extractions and other oral surgeries, and other appropriate general services such as anesthesia. Removable partial and full dentures are covered only for members who qualify under the Developmental Disability (DD), Acquired Brain Disorder (ABD), or Choices for Independence (CFI) waivers, or who reside in a nursing facility.

The adult dental benefit has a $1,500 yearly limit on services, with the exception of preventive services, which are not subject to that cap. For individuals above 100% of the federal poverty level, cost sharing is 10% of the fee for each service, capped at 5% of household income; diagnostic and preventive services have no cost sharing. Members receiving services through the DD, ABD, or CFI waivers are exempt from cost sharing.

Adult Dental Mobile Clinics

Northeast Delta Dental, DentaQuest, and Solvere Health operate mobile dental clinics exclusively for New Hampshire Medicaid patients ages 21 and older. The mobile units are fully equipped dental offices offering diagnostic exams, X-rays, fillings, extractions, restorations, and pain/infection management, and are designed with accessibility accommodations for patients with limited mobility. To schedule an appointment, call 1-877-248-6684.

Finding a dental provider in New Hampshire

For adult dental (NH Smiles), use the DentaQuest provider search at dentaquest.com/newhampshire or call NH Smiles adult dental customer service at 1-844-583-6151. AmeriHealth Caritas, NH Healthy Families, and WellSense Health Plan manage members' general medical benefits but are not the adult dental benefit administrator.

For children's dental (fee-for-service), use the NH DHHS Medicaid provider search at dhhs.nh.gov or call 1-844-275-3447 to find a fee-for-service dental provider who accepts NH Medicaid.

Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and community health centers in New Hampshire provide dental services on a sliding-fee scale and frequently accept NH Medicaid. This is particularly useful in rural NH where private dental practices accepting Medicaid may be limited.