Does supplementary dental insurance cover composite fillings in Germany?
In short
Does supplementary dental insurance cover composite fillings in Germany? Yes, if your plan includes dental treatment, often at 80 to 100 percent. Public health insurance pays composite at the front and, since 2025, a simple self adhesive filling at the back. A layered composite filling in a back tooth usually costs you EUR 80 to 300 extra, and that is what the plan reimburses.
Filling costs in Germany in 2026 and what is left for you.
Example
Typical range
Bonded composite filling in a back tooth, extra cost
about EUR 80 to 200
Layered composite filling, extra cost
about EUR 150 to 300
Ceramic inlay, your share
about EUR 300 to 700
Self adhesive filling under public insurance
EUR 0 extra
Prices as of October 2026 from the cost overview named.
Reimbursement of 80 to 100 percent and the amounts in the example are guide values from our
quoting practice.
Your plan's terms decide; we obtain the exact quote.
Worked example
Two composite fillings in a molar
A woman aged 38 needs two medium fillings and chooses layered composite. Her plan reimburses treatment at 90 percent, up to EUR 1,000 in year two.
Extra cost per filling
EUR 180
Extra cost in total
EUR 360
Reimbursed at 90 percent
EUR 324
Her share
EUR 36
Without treatment cover she pays EUR 360 herself. The module is worth it if fillings like these come up every two or three years.
What public health insurance pays since the amalgam ban
Since 1 January 2025 dentists in the EU may only use amalgam where it is medically essential in an individual case. The free filling for back teeth under statutory health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) is now a self adhesive material, in exceptional cases a bulk fill composite.
Front and canine teeth get a composite filling at no extra charge. If you choose something better for a back tooth, the practice bills the cheapest comparable filling to your insurer and you pay the difference. This rule is in Section 28 (2) of the Social Code Book V.
Filling
Cost
You pay without dental cover
Self adhesive, back tooth
covered
EUR 0
Composite, front tooth, simple
covered
EUR 0
Bonded composite, back tooth
extra cost
about EUR 80 to 200
Layered composite, high end
extra cost
about EUR 150 to 300
Ceramic inlay
EUR 400 to 800
about EUR 300 to 700
When dental insurance pays for composite fillings
Composite fillings count as dental treatment (Zahnbehandlung), not as dentures and crowns (Zahnersatz). A plan that only covers Zahnersatz pays nothing for them. Look for a plan with the treatment module or a combined plan.
Strong plans reimburse 80 to 100 percent of the extra cost, basic ones often 50 percent or up to an annual budget. In the first years most plans also cap total payouts, known as the Zahnstaffel.
What is usually not reimbursed
Replacing intact fillings is not covered by public insurance; the law says the extra cost rule does not apply then. Many private plans also need a medical reason, such as decay or a fracture.
Fillings your dentist had already recommended before you signed are excluded. If you already know three fillings are due, a new composite fillings policy will not pay for them.
When the extra module is not worth it
With healthy teeth and rare fillings, paying EUR 150 every few years can be cheaper than the extra premium for treatment cover. The self adhesive filling is a proper treatment; your dentist decides whether it suits the tooth.
The module pays off if you are prone to decay or if you are taking out cover for crowns and implants anyway and fillings come with little extra cost.
Step by step
Ask whether the free filling is enough for the tooth.
Sign the written extra cost agreement and keep it.
Check that your plan covers fillings as dental treatment.
Check the payout cap for the current year.
Send the invoice and agreement to your insurer.
Checklist
Plan includes dental treatment, not just Zahnersatz
Fillings reimbursed at 80 percent or more
No filling recommended before you signed
Written extra cost agreement in place
Medical reason documented
Common mistakes
Buying a Zahnersatz only plan and expecting fillings to be paid
Swapping intact amalgam fillings for looks and expecting reimbursement
Starting treatment without the written agreement
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Does German public health insurance pay for composite fillings?
At the front, yes.
At the back it pays the self adhesive filling since 2025;
for composite there you pay the extra cost.
Can dentists still use amalgam?
Only if they consider it medically essential in the individual case.
How long does a composite filling last?
On average about 5 to 8 years, layered 6 to 10 years.
How long the free filling lasts depends on size and bite force.
Is there a waiting period for fillings?
Some plans have one, many do not, but almost all cap payouts in the first years.
Does dental insurance pay for a ceramic inlay too?
Good plans do, usually at the same rate as composite fillings.
