Colorado Medicaid dental treatment frequency and timing guide

How to use these frequency examples

Frequency describes how often a particular benefit may be available. The interval can apply to one tooth, one surface of a tooth, one quadrant, one appliance, or the whole mouth. It does not mean every member needs the service at that interval, and it does not guarantee coverage for a proposed procedure.

These examples focus on standard Health First Colorado. Age, diagnosis, clinical need, prior claims, benefit limits, provider participation, documentation, and authorization can change the result. Ask the dental office and DentaQuest to check the exact treatment plan and service history for the planned date of care.

Common standard Health First Colorado treatment intervals

The following are useful planning examples, not a complete benefit schedule:

• Routine cleanings: generally two within a 12-month period. Some members with documented higher decay or periodontal risk may qualify for additional combined cleaning or periodontal-maintenance visits after the dentist documents the risk and the applicable program rules are met.
• Fillings: many standard Health First Colorado filling benefits generally use a 36-month interval for the same tooth and surface. A filling elsewhere in the mouth is a separate history question, and an early failure still needs individual review.
• Permanent crowns: generally once every 84 months—seven years—per qualifying tooth. Tooth type, remaining structure, previous treatment, and whether a filling could reasonably restore the tooth still matter.
• Root-canal treatment: generally once per lifetime for a qualifying tooth. Retreatment is a different service with a different review pathway, and coverage for a root canal does not automatically confirm a buildup or crown afterward.
• Scaling and root planing, often called deep cleaning: generally once per quadrant every three years and normally requires prior authorization. Routine cleaning, debridement, deep cleaning, and periodontal maintenance are different services.
• Removable dentures: standard replacement timing is generally seven years for adults and five years for children. Repairs, relines, rebases, and medically necessary exceptions follow separate timing and review rules.

Children's fluoride, sealants, and preventive timing

Standard Health First Colorado covers preventive dental care for members ages 0 through 20, but fluoride, sealants, space maintainers, exams, cleanings, and different kinds of X-rays do not all share one schedule. Fluoride frequency can vary by the child's age and documented cavity risk, while sealants and space maintainers have age, tooth, and treatment-history qualifications.

A child with documented higher risk may qualify for more preventive care than the ordinary schedule. The dentist should complete the risk assessment and check the current child benefit rather than having a family choose a treatment from a frequency list. Medically necessary requests for a member under 21 can also receive individualized EPSDT review.

• Tell the office when and where the child's last exam, cleaning, fluoride treatment, sealant, and X-rays occurred.
• Ask whether the child's risk assessment changes the number of preventive visits or fluoride treatments available.
• Ask which teeth a sealant or space maintainer would involve and whether the child's age and treatment history fit the current rule.
• Do not assume that a preventive service listed for standard Health First Colorado uses the same frequency under CHP+ or Cover All Coloradans.

Before-treatment approval and after-treatment review are different

Some non-emergency services require prior authorization: the dental office submits the proposed treatment and supporting records, and the plan reviews them before treatment begins. Scaling and root planing and many removable-denture services are common examples where advance review may apply.

Other services may be performed first and reviewed with the claim afterward. That later review can examine the same kinds of clinical and frequency requirements, but it is not advance approval. For example, the exact crown or extraction service may follow a claim-review pathway rather than ordinary prior authorization.

1. 1

   Ask which review applies

   Use the exact treatment name, tooth, quadrant, appliance, and program. Do not assume that every crown, root canal, extraction, or sedation service follows the same pathway.

2. 2

   Wait when advance approval is required

   For non-emergency treatment, ask whether the request is approved, partially approved, still pending, or needs more records before care starts.

3. 3

   Check what the decision covers

   Confirm the approved service, tooth or area, provider, location, quantity, and valid dates. Related parts of a treatment plan can require separate checks.

Multi-visit treatment needs more than one date check

Dentures, crowns, root canals, periodontal care, sedation cases, and orthodontics can span multiple appointments. Active coverage at the examination or first appointment does not by itself confirm every later stage. Ask the office to recheck eligibility, service history, authorization dates, and provider participation as the treatment progresses.

1. 1

   Dentures

   The sequence may include evaluation, authorization, extractions or healing, impressions, try-in, delivery, and adjustments. Eligibility and approval should still be active when the appliance is delivered. Early adjustments may be included with the new denture, while later repairs or relines can use separate benefits.

2. 2

   Crowns

   Preparation and final placement may occur on different dates. Ask which date completes the covered service and whether the final crown, buildup, or other related work has a separate frequency or review requirement.

3. 3

   Root canals

   Treatment can involve evaluation, temporary care, canal treatment, and a later restoration. Ask when the root-canal service is considered complete and verify any buildup or crown separately.

4. 4

   Deep cleaning

   Treatment is organized by quadrant and may be divided across visits. Confirm which quadrants were approved, the authorization dates, and the later maintenance plan.

Do not transfer one program's schedule to another

Standard adult Health First Colorado generally applies to members age 21 and over, while the standard child benefit applies to ages 0 through 20 and includes EPSDT protections. Cover All Coloradans, CHP+, and certain HCBS waiver dental benefits have different annual periods, limits, services, and review rules.

CHP+ is a separate program and uses a January-through-December benefit year. Its current materials should be checked for the member's exact preventive and treatment history. Because frequency can depend on the service and prior claims, this guide does not assign one numeric CHP+ cleaning, fluoride, sealant, or filling schedule.

Questions to ask before scheduling treatment

• What is the exact treatment, and which tooth, surface, quadrant, arch, or appliance does it involve?
• What does the plan's record show for the last time this service was used?
• Does the ordinary interval apply, or is the dentist requesting an individualized medical-necessity review?
• Does this treatment need approval before care, or will records be reviewed with the claim afterward?
• For multi-visit care, which date completes or delivers the covered service?
• Does each related service—such as a buildup, crown, anesthesia, facility, repair, or reline—need a separate check?
• Can this office provide every stage, or will part of the care be referred to another dentist or specialist?