Dentists

70.2 – Dentists (Rev. 1, 09-11-02) A dentist qualifies as a physician if he/she is a doctor of dental surgery or of dental medicine who is legally authorized to practice dentistry by the State in which he/she performs such function and who is acting within the scope of his/her license when he/she performs such functions. Such services include any otherwise covered service that may legally and alternatively be performed by doctors of medicine, osteopathy and dentistry; e.g., dental examinations to detect infections prior to certain surgical procedures, treatment of oral infections and interpretations of diagnostic X-ray examinations in connection with covered services. Because the general exclusion of payment for dental services has not been withdrawn, payment for the services of dentists is also limited to those procedures which are not primarily provided for the care, treatment, removal, or replacement of teeth or structures directly supporting the teeth. The coverage of any given dental service is not affected by the professional designation of the physician rendering the service; i.e., an excluded dental service remains excluded and a covered dental service is still covered whether furnished by a dentist or a doctor of medicine or osteopathy.