--- title: "Find a dentist that takes Medicaid and new patients" description: "Your AI agent calls dental offices near you and asks the two questions that matter: do you take my Medicaid plan, and are you seeing new patients this month?" url: https://callforme.tel/use-cases/dentists-that-take-medicaid published: 2026-10-09 updated: 2026-10-09 author: CallForMe team, Great Work LLC --- # Find a dentist that takes Medicaid and new patients > Give your agent your zip, who needs the visit (child or adult), and the Medicaid or CHIP plan name on the card. CallForMe calls dental offices near you, asks whether they take that plan for new patients, and the first opening. Fewer than half of US dentists take Medicaid, so calling many at once saves days. Each answered call is $1. **Say to your agent:** "Call 8 dental offices near 78207. Ask if they accept Texas Medicaid for a new patient, age 7, for a cleaning and exam, and when the first opening is. Don't book. Give me a table." Finding a dentist who takes Medicaid usually means working down a list: call, hear "we don't take Medicaid" or "we're not taking new Medicaid patients," call the next one. The ADA Health Policy Institute reports that 41% of US dentists participated in Medicaid or CHIP in 2024, roughly unchanged since 2015 ([ADA News](https://adanews.ada.org/ada-news/2025/december/dental-care-utilization-stagnant-among-medicaid-beneficiaries/)). So most calls on that list end in a no. That's the part your agent can take: it asks every office the same questions at once and hands you only the yeses. For private dental insurance and everyday dentist calls (cleanings, crown prices, emergencies), see [have AI call dentists](/call/dentists). For a medical doctor instead, see [find doctors accepting new patients](/use-cases/doctors-accepting-new-patients). ## What your agent does 1. **call_around** with "dentist" and your zip finds offices and calls them, several at a time, with the same goal and questions. 2. Every office is asked whether it takes your plan **for new patients**, since some see existing Medicaid patients but have closed to new ones. 3. Your agent reads the table and books the best fit with one more call.
What your agent sends (for developers) ```json { "query": "dentist", "near": "78207", "count": 8, "goal": "Find out whether the office accepts Texas Medicaid for a new patient, age 7, for a cleaning and exam, and the first available appointment. Don't book anything.", "details": "Patient is a 7 year old child, new to the office. Coverage: Texas Medicaid (the dental plan named on the card is Example Dental Plan). Weekday after-school times work best.", "questions": [ "Do you accept Texas Medicaid for new patients right now?", "Do you take the dental plan named on the card, Example Dental Plan?", "When is the first opening for a new patient cleaning and exam?", "Do you see children, and from what age?" ], "on_behalf_of": "Ana Morales", "callback_number": "+12105550148", "constraints": "Information only. Do not book or give a member ID or date of birth." } ```
Run **plan_call** first to see the opening line and what the office may ask. For a call that only asks whether an office takes the plan, the date of birth and member ID can wait for the booking call. ## Questions worth asking - Do you accept [state] Medicaid, or CHIP, for **new** patients right now? - If the card names a dental plan, do you take that plan by name? - Which dentists at the office take it? (Some offices have one Medicaid provider.) - How soon is the first new patient visit, and is there a cancellation list? - For adults: what does the plan cover here for a cleaning, a filling or an extraction? - Is there a sliding-scale fee if the plan doesn't cover something? ## Example result Illustrative example: names, prices and times are made up. Transcript excerpt: > **Assistant:** Hi, this is an AI assistant calling for Ana Morales, on a recorded line. She's looking for a dentist for her 7 year old and wanted to ask if you accept Texas Medicaid for new patients. > **Front desk:** We do, but only with Dr. Patel, and she's booked out about five weeks. > **Assistant:** Thanks. Do you take Example Dental Plan specifically? > **Front desk:** Yes, that one's fine. > **Assistant:** And what's the first new patient cleaning and exam with Dr. Patel? > **Front desk:** November 19th at 3:30. What your agent tells you: | Office | New Medicaid patients | Plan on the card | First opening | |---|---|---|---| | Westside Family Dental | Yes, Dr. Patel only | Yes | Nov 19, 3:30 | | Zarzamora Kids Dentistry | Yes | Yes | Oct 28, 4:00 | | Guadalupe Dental Care | Existing patients only | n/a | n/a | | Commerce St Dental | No | n/a | n/a | | Southcross Smiles | Yes | Not sure, will call back | Nov 4 | Three offices didn't answer, which cost nothing. Your agent's summary: "Zarzamora Kids Dentistry is the soonest and confirmed the plan: October 28 at 4. Want me to call and book it?" ## What trips these calls up - **"We take Medicaid" but not new patients.** The question has to say new patients, or you'll book a call that ends at the front desk. - **Plan names.** Coverage can run through a named dental plan. If the card names one, ask about it by name. - **Children vs adults.** Medicaid covers dental care for children through its EPSDT benefit; adult dental benefits are set by each state, with no federal minimum ([Medicaid.gov](https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/benefits/dental-care)). Say who the patient is. - **Lunch hours.** Small offices often close the phones midday. A batch started mid-morning reaches more people. ## What it costs Eight offices, five answer, all within 2 minutes: $5. The three unanswered calls are free. The booking call afterward is usually one more $1. ## Related - [Have AI call dentists](/call/dentists) - [Get on a dentist's cancellation list](/use-cases/dentist-cancellation-list) - [Find doctors accepting new patients](/use-cases/doctors-accepting-new-patients) - [Call around: one goal, many businesses](/guides/call-around) ## FAQ ### Why is it so hard to find a dentist that takes Medicaid? Most dentists don't. The ADA Health Policy Institute puts the share of US dentists participating in Medicaid or CHIP at 41% in 2024, about the same as in 2015. Participation also varies a lot by state, and a listed dentist may not be taking new Medicaid patients right now. ### Does Medicaid cover dental for adults? It depends on your state. Medicaid covers dental services for all children through its EPSDT benefit, but states decide what dental benefits adults get, and there's no federal minimum. Ask the office what your plan covers for the visit you need. ### Do I need to give my Medicaid ID on the call? Not to ask whether they take your plan and have room. Offices ask for the member ID and date of birth when they book you. Leave those out of the call-around and add them to the one booking call. ### Can it book the appointment too? Yes. Once you pick an office from the table, your agent places one more call to book, with the patient's name, date of birth and member ID in details. ## Related - [Find a vet accepting new patients with an AI call-around](https://callforme.tel/use-cases/vets-accepting-new-patients.md) - [Best AI that makes phone calls for you (2026)](https://callforme.tel/compare/best-ai-that-makes-phone-calls.md) - [Book a visit with the doctor you picked, by AI call](https://callforme.tel/use-cases/doctor-appointment.md) - [Get open enrollment health plan quotes by phone with AI](https://callforme.tel/use-cases/health-insurance-open-enrollment-quotes.md)