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Does supplementary dental insurance pay for inlays?

In short

Does supplementary dental insurance pay for inlays in Germany? Yes, good tariffs often pay 80 to 100 percent of the bill. Public insurance only adds what a simple filling would cost, usually about EUR 30 to 65. A ceramic or gold inlay costs about EUR 250 to 1,000 per tooth, so without cover almost all of it is on you.

Does supplementary dental insurance pay for inlays?

What it costs

Cost per inlay, public share and premiums from published guides, tests and the GOZ fee scale, 2026.

ExampleTypical range
Ceramic inlay per toothabout EUR 250 to 1,000
Gold inlay per toothabout EUR 200 to 1,000
Public insurance share per inlayabout EUR 30 to 65
GOZ 2150 to 2170, fee without lab, 2.3 timesEUR 147.60 to 221.07
Monthly premium for a very good tariff, model customer aged 43about EUR 25 to 58

As of November 2026.

Prices vary widely by practice, lab and region.

The 90 percent refund in the worked example is a guide value from quoting practice;

what your tariff pays is in its terms.

We obtain the exact quote.

Worked example

Three surface ceramic inlay in a molar

A publicly insured patient replaces a large old filling with a ceramic inlay. Her tariff has been running for four years and refunds 90 percent of the bill including the public share.

Bill including labEUR 893
Public share (value of a standard filling)EUR 63
Tariff: 90 percent of the bill minus public shareEUR 740.70
Your shareEUR 89.30

With the tariff she pays about EUR 89 instead of EUR 830. A simple tariff without inlay benefits would have refunded nothing.

What an inlay is and when you need one

An inlay is a hard filling made to fit in a lab or by a milling machine at the practice, then bonded or cemented into the tooth. Ceramic and gold are common, composite less so. For large cavities in back teeth it usually lasts longer than a filling that hardens in the mouth.

For a small cavity you do not need an inlay. Since the EU wide amalgam ban on 1 January 2025, publicly insured patients get a self adhesive filling in back teeth at no extra cost, which is often enough for small and medium defects. An inlay makes more sense when a lot of tooth is missing or a large old filling is replaced.

What public health insurance pays

An inlay is not a public insurance benefit. Under section 28 (2) of the German Social Code Book V, you pay the extra cost if you choose a more elaborate filling. The insurer then pays for the comparable cheapest plastic filling, and a written agreement with the practice is required before treatment starts.

Unlike crowns, there is no fixed subsidy for inlays. In a published example, a three surface ceramic inlay costs EUR 893 and public insurance pays EUR 63, the value of a three surface standard filling. Without supplementary cover, EUR 830 is on you.

What supplementary dental insurance refunds

Many tariffs file inlays under prosthetics, some under treatment. That matters, because prosthetics often have a cap in the first contract years, for example EUR 1,000 in year one. Some simple tariffs only pay for crowns, bridges and implants and leave inlays out entirely.

Good tariffs refund 80 to 100 percent of the bill, often minus the public share. Check up to which GOZ multiplier the tariff pays. If the practice bills above 3.5 times, some tariffs do not refund the part above.

MaterialUsual cost per toothProperties
Ceramicabout EUR 250 to 1,000tooth coloured, more fragile than gold
Ceramic milled in one sessionabout EUR 300 to 800tooth coloured, no second appointment
Goldabout EUR 200 to 1,000very durable, visible
Compositeabout EUR 300 to 500cheaper, usually lasts only 5 to 7 years

How the bill is made up

The dentist's fee follows the GOZ fee scale. Code 2150 for a one surface inlay has 1,141 points, which is EUR 147.60 at 2.3 times and EUR 224.60 at 3.5 times. Two surfaces under code 2160 are EUR 175.41 and EUR 266.93, more than two surfaces under code 2170 are EUR 221.07 and EUR 336.41.

Anaesthesia, impressions and above all material and lab costs come on top. In the Stiftung Warentest example, the lab accounts for half of the bill. So never compare the fee alone.

When you do not need inlay cover

If your teeth are healthy and you are happy with the standard filling, you do not need a tariff with inlay benefits. If your dentist has already recommended an inlay, it is usually too late for a new contract, because tariffs require the contract to exist before the diagnosis.

A tariff pays off mainly if several large old fillings will need replacing and no treatment has been recommended yet. Weigh the premiums over several years against the bills you expect.

Step by step

  1. Ask the practice whether a standard filling at no extra cost would do for this cavity.
  2. Get a written cost plan with GOZ codes, multiplier and lab costs.
  3. Sign the extra cost agreement only once you know the costs.
  4. Send the cost plan to your supplementary insurer before treatment and ask for written confirmation.
  5. Check whether the cap of the first contract years is already used up.

Checklist

  • Tariff names inlays explicitly
  • Refund together with public insurance at least 80 percent
  • Refund up to 3.5 times GOZ or above
  • Cap of the first contract years known
  • Material and lab costs covered
  • Inlay not yet recommended when signing

Common mistakes

  • Choosing a tariff that only pays for crowns, bridges and implants
  • Signing up only after the inlay has been recommended
  • Comparing the fee only and overlooking lab costs
  • Choosing an inlay for a small cavity where a standard filling is enough

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Does German public health insurance pay for an inlay?

No, only the amount a comparable standard filling would cost.

You or your supplementary insurer pay the rest.

Is an inlay prosthetics or treatment?

Each tariff decides.

Many list inlays under prosthetics, and then the caps of the first years apply as well.

Which is better, gold or ceramic?

Gold often lasts longer and is very strong, ceramic is barely visible but more fragile.

Ask your dentist what suits the tooth.

How long does an inlay last?

Usually 10 to 20 years, gold often longer, composite usually only 5 to 7 years.

A later replacement is a new bill.

What is an onlay?

A larger inlay that also covers cusps of the tooth.

It usually costs about EUR 700 to 1,200.

Sources

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