Good dentures are expensive. Health insurers usually pay only a small portion of the cost. The insured person must pay for the rest - and these are often high amounts. With supplementary dental insurance, patients can protect themselves against high costs for high-quality dentures. This is because supplementary dental insurance closes the gaps in statutory health insurance.

Overview of this article

For whom is a dental supplement insurance worthwhile?

In the course of life, most people will eventually get dentures: crowns, bridges, prostheses or implants. Therefore, dental insurance is useful for everyone. The earlier the insurance is taken out, the lower the contributions.

Especially useful for implants

The benefits of the statutory health insurance are limited to the so-called standard care. That means: 60 percent refund for a molar crown and only 60 percent for the cost of a metal crown. A higher quality ceramic veneered crown is much more expensive. Without additional dental insurance, the patient has to bear these additional costs themselves.

The health insurance companies often only pay for prostheses when replacing whole teeth. However, implants are usually the better solution compared to removable dentures. Last but not least, implants prevent bone loss in the jaw area and incorrect loading of the remaining teeth. Above all, the firm hold of implants gives the patient safety and advantages in daily life. these Of course these advantages have their price. Supplementary dental insurance can cushion the cost of implants.

What should you look for when choosing?

The supply of dental insurance is large. The differences in monthly contributions are very much dependent on the benefits covered. Here the personal demands and the individual risk play a big role. The following aspects are especially important in the comparison:

  • Which benefits are insured at all?
  • Do the contributions increase with age?
  • What is the percentage of reimbursement?
  • Are there waiting times when benefits are excluded?
  • Are the reimbursement claims graded in the first years?

With waiting periods and the staggering of reimbursement claims, most supplementary dental insurances are secured against high costs. Many tariffs have a waiting period of several months. Only after expiry of the waiting period does the insurance pay. Treatments for dental accidents are usually refundable even in the waiting period.

Attention: All treatments that have already been started, planned or advised by the dentist are usually excluded from the insurance cover.

How much does dental insurance cost?

On the one hand, the costs for supplemental dental insurance depend on the entry age of life: the younger, the cheaper. Of course, the current condition of the teeth also plays a role. Many insurers make a health check a prior condition for an insurance statement. Other supplements rely on standardized questions - for example, the number of missing teeth, periodontal disease or other pre-existing conditions that increase the reimbursement risk for the insurer. Typical reimbursement cases are:

  • Crowns
  • Bridges
  • Implants
  • Professional teeth cleaning
  • Root and periodontal disease treatments

Therefore, when choosing the right supplemental dental insurance, make sure that the selected tariff covers the benefits that you want to cover.

Insurance companies provide incentives for dental health

Those who regularly use professional teeth cleaning make an important contribution to preserving their dental health. Nevertheless, the health insurance companies usually do not pay these services at all or not completely. Again, a dental insurance proves to be helpful. Because most insurance companies reimburse the cost of professional teeth cleaning 100 percent. The individual tariffs, however, differ in the maximum amounts per year.

Supplementary dental insurance - also suitable for children

It is also worthwhile thinking about supplementary insurance for children. After all, services for braces are only 100 percent paid by the health insurance in the event of extreme malpositions of the teeth.

Important: In contrast to the general health insurance obligation, benefits for the next generation of the own dental supplement insurance are usually not included. Each member of the family needs its own dental insurance.

Tax deductible dental insurance?

Another advantage: additional dental insurance is tax deductible. Simply list your expenses in the tax return under the benefits as a special issue. In many cases, the maximum amount for special expenses has already been exceeded with the expenses for the statutory health insurance. Nevertheless, it does not hurt to state the cost of a dental insurance in the tax return.

Conclusion: Saving by Preventing and Insuring

The best insurance against high dental bills are

  • careful oral hygiene,
  • a healthy, low-sugar diet and
  • the regular check of the teeth by the dentist.

Nevertheless, if a tooth has to be replaced or expensive treatments become necessary, the insured person often incur high costs. These costs are considerably reduced by a dental insurance. When choosing the right insurance, pay attention to the different conditions. The best dental insurance is always individual. And the sooner you take out insurance, the lower the monthly contributions will be.