Find a dentist that takes Medicaid in Ohio

Alex Chen

Updated August 17, 2026 · 3 min read

Summary: Many Ohio dental offices say they "take Medicaid" but aren't accepting new Medicaid patients — in fact a federal study found about 35% of providers listed as "accepting new patients" weren't when called. In Ohio, dental runs through your Ohio Medicaid plan’s dental administrator, and the only reliable way to know is to call and confirm before you book.

Step by step

Confirm your Ohio Medicaid plan name and member ID — the office will ask for the plan, not just "Medicaid".
Pull a shortlist from the official directory: your Ohio Medicaid plan’s dental administrator’s dentist search, or https://www.ohiomh.com; InsureKidsNow.gov has a national locator for children.
In the directory, filter by "Dental/Dentist" and look for a "currently accepting new patients" indicator.
Call each office and confirm two things: do they accept your specific plan, and are they taking NEW Medicaid patients.
Ask about wait times and book the first office that confirms both.

Medicaid in Ohio: who runs it

Ohio’s program is Ohio Medicaid (Next Generation managed care plans), run by the Ohio Department of Medicaid. The member line is 1-800-324-8680 (Ohio Medicaid consumer hotline), and the official plan and provider directory is at https://www.ohiomh.com.

Dental is handled by your Ohio Medicaid managed-care plan — dental is included, and plans subcontract it to an administrator (often DentaQuest or Skygen) that runs the dentist directory.

Plans you’ll see in Ohio

The office will ask which plan you have, not just "Medicaid" — the name is on your card. The main managed-care plans in the state:

CareSource
Molina Healthcare of Ohio
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield (Ohio Medicaid)
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan
Humana Healthy Horizons
AmeriHealth Caritas Ohio
Buckeye Health Plan

Ohio-specific things to know

Ohio Medicaid covers adult dental (exams, cleanings, fillings, extractions, dentures), which many offices are not aware of — say your plan name and "Ohio Medicaid dental".
Ohio moved to "Next Generation" managed care with seven plans; CareSource is the largest and its dental network is the deepest in most counties.
The Ohio Medicaid consumer hotline and ohiomh.com show which plan you are in and let you switch during open enrollment.
Ohio expanded Medicaid, so adult eligibility is broad and plans actively compete — member lines are usually quick to answer.

Common mistakes to avoid

Trusting an online "accepts Medicaid" listing without calling to confirm.
Not asking specifically whether they take NEW Medicaid patients.
Giving up after a few "no"s instead of working down the list.

Let Karen make the calls

Karen calls down the list for you and reports back what it found — you just pick.

If Karen needs a detail she doesn’t have, or someone asks to verify your identity, she’ll add you to the call for a quick warm handoff so you can take over.

Have Karen make the call

20 free minutes to start · then from 5.5¢/minute · no subscription

Frequently asked questions

Why is it so hard to find a dentist that takes Medicaid in Ohio?

Many offices cap how many Medicaid patients they take or pause new intake, so directories go stale — a federal study found roughly 35% of "accepting new patients" listings were wrong when called. Phoning to confirm is the only reliable check.

Where are the official Ohio Medicaid dentist directories?

Start with your Ohio Medicaid plan’s dental administrator’s directory and the Ohio Department of Medicaid’s site (https://www.ohiomh.com); InsureKidsNow.gov has a national locator for children.

Does Ohio Medicaid cover adult dental?

Yes — exams, cleanings, fillings, extractions and dentures. Your managed-care plan, through its dental administrator, lists the dentists.

How do I check my Ohio Medicaid plan?

Call the Ohio Medicaid consumer hotline at 1-800-324-8680 or log in at ohiomh.com; your plan card also names it.

Can Karen find one for me?

Yes. Karen calls down a list of Ohio dental offices, confirms which take your Medicaid plan and are accepting new patients, and reports back the ones that said yes.