All about this insurance: Dental insurance
Is dental insurance worth it in Germany?
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Does dental insurance pay if treatment has already started?
In short
No, as a rule it does not. Anything the dentist recommended or started before your policy began is excluded in normal tariffs. Some tariffs offer immediate cover, usually up to about EUR 1,500 spread over two years, for a hefty surcharge. You can still insure future treatment on other teeth.
What it costs
Published figures on tariffs with immediate cover and typical own shares.
| Example | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Immediate cover budget | up to about EUR 1,500, often EUR 750 a year |
| Surcharge for immediate cover | about EUR 30 a month for 24 months |
| Total premium with immediate cover, age 30 | about EUR 40 a month in the first two years |
| Own share for an implant without supplementary cover | about EUR 4,300 to 4,400 |
Guide values as of September 2026, from published tariff descriptions and cost examples. Whether immediate cover pays off for your treatment plan, we check in the quote.
Worked example
Crown recommended, own share EUR 1,200
The dentist has recommended a full ceramic crown and an inlay. Is a tariff with immediate cover worth it?
| Open own share according to the treatment plan | EUR 1,200 |
| Immediate cover pays at most in year one | EUR 750 |
| Surcharge for 24 months | about EUR 720 |
| Base premium for 24 months | about EUR 260 |
You pay around EUR 980 in premiums and get at most EUR 750. Here it is cheaper to pay yourself and take out a normal tariff for the future.
Why ongoing treatment is not insured
Insurance covers an uncertain risk. Once the dentist has found that you need a crown, the damage is certain. That is why insurers ask about it on the application and exclude such treatment.
Treatment counts as recommended as soon as the dentist has suggested it and noted it in your file, for example after an X-ray. A written treatment and cost plan (Heil- und Kostenplan) is not needed for this. It has started at the latest with the first treatment appointment.
Findings from your home country count too
The application asks about recommended treatment regardless of where it was recommended. If a dentist in your home country told you before the move that a tooth needs a crown or implant, that is an open finding and must be stated.
A good time to sign is right after arriving in Germany and before your first check-up here. If that check-up finds something, that tooth is excluded, but the rest can still be insured.
Your options at a glance
You are not entirely without protection. Which route fits depends on how expensive the open treatment is.
| Route | What it brings | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Normal tariff, open treatment declared | cover for all future findings | you pay the open treatment yourself |
| Tariff with immediate cover | also pays the open treatment up to the budget | high surcharge, budget usually around EUR 1,500 |
| Tariff without health questions | sign without a check | open treatment still excluded, often more expensive |
| Pay the treatment yourself, insure later | clean fresh start | no cover until then |
What immediate cover really pays
Some tariffs also pay for treatment already recommended or started. The budget is usually capped at about EUR 1,500, often EUR 750 in the first and EUR 750 in the second year. In return you pay a surcharge of around EUR 30 a month for 24 months, about EUR 720 in total.
Often the treatment plan may be no more than six months old. Do the maths: immediate cover only pays off if your open share is clearly higher than the surcharge.
Why keeping quiet is the most expensive option
For larger bills the insurer often asks for your dental records. If they show a recommendation from before the policy started, the insurer can withdraw from the contract or contest it. It then pays nothing, and future treatment is no longer covered either.
Always declare open findings. If in doubt, ask your practice what is in your file.
When signing still pays off
If only one tooth is affected and the rest are healthy, a normal tariff for the future is worth it. Dental work rarely stays with one tooth. If many teeth need treatment, have them treated first and decide again afterwards, otherwise you pay premiums for little protection.
Step by step
- Ask your practice which treatments are recommended in your file.
- Note your own share from the treatment plan.
- Only look at immediate cover if your share is clearly above the surcharge.
- Declare all open findings on the application, including those from abroad.
- For the future, choose a normal tariff with good cover for crowns and implants.
Checklist
- Open findings from your file known
- Findings from your home country dentist considered
- Age of the treatment plan checked
- Budget and surcharge of immediate cover compared
- Health questions answered truthfully
- Benefits for future treatment checked
Common mistakes
- Leaving a recommended treatment off the application
- Thinking nothing is recommended without a treatment plan
- Not declaring a finding because it was made abroad
- Taking immediate cover although the surcharge eats up the benefit
- Giving up on future cover out of frustration about the gap
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
When does treatment count as recommended?
As soon as the dentist has suggested it and noted it in your file. A written plan is not needed.
Can I change dentist and start fresh?
No. What counts is what was found before the policy began, not at which practice.
Does the tariff pay for other teeth that cause problems later?
Yes. Only the recommended treatment is excluded, new findings after the start are covered.
How does the insurer find out?
For larger bills it often requests your dental records. They show the date and the finding.
Does a tariff without health questions help?
Not for the open treatment. It only makes sense if you would otherwise be rejected because of your teeth.
What if the recommendation was years ago?
Many applications only ask about a certain period, often two or three years. Read the question carefully and answer it completely.
Sources
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NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act, broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. For boat and yacht insurance we act as underwriting agency, not as broker. Statutory disclosure (German) · Updated
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