Does FSA cover dental?
Most dental treatment — cleanings, fillings, crowns, extractions, root canals, and braces — is a qualified FSA expense, but purely cosmetic dental work like teeth whitening is not.
What flips the answer
- Covered when
It's treatment or restorative care — cleanings, fillings, crowns, extractions, root canals, dentures, or braces.
- Not covered when
The work is purely cosmetic — teeth whitening, or veneers done only to improve appearance.
- Not covered when
The expense is a general toiletry like toothpaste or a toothbrush rather than treatment by a dental provider.
IRS Publication 502 counts dental treatment to prevent or alleviate dental disease as a qualified medical expense. That covers routine and restorative care: teeth cleanings, exams, X-rays, fillings, crowns, extractions, root canals, dentures, and orthodontia.
You can use FSA funds for the dental costs your insurance doesn't pay — deductibles, copays, and coinsurance — as long as the care is treatment rather than cosmetic.
The line the IRS draws is medical purpose. Procedures done only to improve appearance — teeth whitening is the classic example, and veneers when purely cosmetic — are not qualified expenses, even though the same provider performs them.
That's the general answer. Yours is written in your actual policy.
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