Skip to content

Insurance broker / Insurance questions / Dental insurance

Does supplementary dental insurance pay for teeth whitening?

In short

Does supplementary dental insurance pay for teeth whitening in Germany? Usually not. Only tariffs with a separate whitening budget pay, often about EUR 200 to 300, frequently every two calendar years. Public health insurance pays nothing because whitening counts as cosmetic. At the dentist, whitening costs about EUR 200 to 800.

Does supplementary dental insurance pay for teeth whitening?

What it costs

Costs for whitening at the dentist, tariff budgets and premiums from published guides and tests, 2026.

ExampleTypical range
In-office whitening, full jawabout EUR 200 to 800
Home whitening with a tray from the dentistabout EUR 200 to 400
Whitening budget in supplementary tariffsabout EUR 200 to 300, often every two calendar years
Professional cleaning beforehandabout EUR 80 to 120
Monthly premium for a very good tariff, model customer aged 43about EUR 25 to 58

As of November 2026.

Prices vary widely by practice and region.

The refunds in the worked example are guide values from quoting practice.

Whether and how much your tariff pays for whitening is in its terms; we obtain the exact quote.

Worked example

In-office whitening with a tariff budget

A publicly insured patient has both jaws whitened at the practice and a professional cleaning first. The tariff has a whitening budget of EUR 200 every two calendar years and pays EUR 100 a year for cleaning.

Professional cleaningEUR 100
Whitening in two sessionsEUR 600
Refund for cleaningEUR 100
Refund for whiteningEUR 200
Your shareEUR 400

Even with a budget, you pay most of it yourself. Without a tariff that covers whitening, the full EUR 600 would be on you.

Why almost nobody pays for whitening

Whitening (Bleaching in German) lightens healthy teeth with a gel based on hydrogen peroxide. It is not medically necessary, so public health insurance pays nothing. Most supplementary tariffs also exclude cosmetic treatment.

The practice usually bills whitening as a service at your request. Under section 2 (3) of the German dental fee scale GOZ, it must give you a written treatment and cost plan (Heil- und Kostenplan) beforehand, listing services and amounts and stating that a refund may not be guaranteed.

Which tariffs do pay something

Some tariffs, usually the more expensive ones with many extras, include a fixed whitening budget. Published examples are EUR 200, 250 or 300, often every two calendar years. The whitening must be done by a dentist or under a dentist's supervision. Drugstore products do not count.

Caps in the first contract years may apply, while some tariffs pay the budget without a waiting period. Check whether the whitening budget is shared with professional cleaning or separate.

TypeUsual costWho pays
In-office whitening, one or two sessionsabout EUR 200 to 800you, with a suitable tariff partly from the budget
In-office whitening per toothabout EUR 30 to 75you, with a suitable tariff partly from the budget
Home whitening with a tray from the dentistabout EUR 200 to 400you, with a suitable tariff partly from the budget
Professional cleaning before whiteningabout EUR 80 to 120often a subsidy from your public insurer or tariff
Drugstore productsfrom a few eurosnobody

What the law says

Since the end of October 2012, whitening agents with more than 0.1 and up to 6 percent hydrogen peroxide may only be supplied to dentists. The first application is done by the dentist or under direct supervision. After that the dentist may hand you the agent for the rest of the cycle.

You must be at least 18. The rule comes from EU Directive 2011/84/EU and applies across the EU, so it is the same in Germany as in your home country if that is an EU state.

When you should skip whitening

Pregnant and breastfeeding women should not have it done. Only healthy teeth are whitened, so decay and leaking fillings are treated first. Crowns, fillings and veneers do not get lighter and may no longer match afterwards.

If a single tooth has darkened after a root canal, internal whitening may be an option. Ask your insurer in writing beforehand whether the tariff sees this as treatment or as cosmetics.

Is a tariff worth it just for whitening?

Rarely. A budget of EUR 200 every two years is worth about EUR 8 a month. Tariffs with this extra usually cost more than solid basic cover, and the extra premium soon eats up the benefit.

The budget makes sense as a bonus if you want strong cover for crowns, implants and inlays anyway. What the tariff pays there matters far more.

Step by step

  1. Have your teeth and fillings checked and note any visible crowns or veneers.
  2. Ask for a written treatment and cost plan with all amounts.
  3. Check your terms for a whitening budget and the period it covers.
  4. Send the plan to your insurer before treatment and ask for written confirmation.
  5. Keep the dentist's invoice. Drugstore products are not refunded.

Checklist

  • Tariff names whitening explicitly
  • Amount and period of the budget known
  • Treatment by or under supervision of a dentist
  • Treatment and cost plan signed before starting
  • Decay and leaking fillings treated first
  • At least 18, not pregnant or breastfeeding

Common mistakes

  • Taking out an expensive tariff only for the whitening budget
  • Assuming every supplementary dental tariff pays for cosmetic treatment
  • Using high strength whitening agents bought online
  • Forgetting that crowns and fillings keep their colour

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Does German public health insurance pay for whitening?

No.

Whitening healthy teeth is cosmetic and not a public insurance benefit.

Which supplementary dental insurance pays for whitening?

Only tariffs that name it, usually with a budget of about EUR 200 to 300 per period.

Without that clause the tariff pays nothing.

Is there a waiting period for the whitening budget?

It depends on the tariff.

Some pay from the start, others cap benefits in the first years.

Can I get whitening at 17?

No.

Agents with more than 0.1 percent hydrogen peroxide must not be used on people under 18.

How often can I whiten?

Many tariff budgets apply every two calendar years.

Ask your dentist what interval suits your teeth.

Does insurance pay for whitening a dead tooth?

That depends on the terms.

Ask in writing beforehand whether internal whitening counts as treatment.

Sources

NAMMERT insurance broker

Request a quote: Dental insurance

We compare insurers and come back to you, in English.

Free; the insurer pays our fee.

1Who is it for?
2Which insurance?

Choose as many as you like. For each one, the details an insurer needs for a quote appear below.

Personal

Business

3Details

Dental insurance in Germany

Wisdom teeth and gaps closed by braces do not count

For example gum treatment, since when you have had German check-ups

4Your current policy
5How can we reach you?

Free of charge and without obligation. A person will get back to you.

Related questions

Updated

Was this useful?