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Does travel health insurance pay for the dentist?

In short

Yes, travel health insurance pays for the dentist when you have acute pain: pain relief, simple fillings, repair of dentures and a temporary crown. It does not pay for new crowns, orthodontics or treatment that was needed before the trip. Good tariffs pay with no amount limit, and an annual policy costs from about EUR 8.

Does travel health insurance pay for the dentist?

What it costs

What cover costs and what treatment can cost.

ExampleTypical range
Annual policy for one person, low-cost tariffsfrom about EUR 8 a year
Annual policy, trips up to 56 daysabout EUR 10 to 20 single
Emergency dental treatment on holidayabout EUR 100 to 400
Temporary crown abroadabout EUR 150 to 500

As of October 2026.

Premiums from the consumer test and tariff details;

treatment costs are guide values from our quoting practice and vary a lot by country.

Worked example

Broken molar in Croatia

On day four of the holiday a piece of a molar breaks off and the nerve is exposed. The local dentist treats privately.

Pain relief and X-rayabout EUR 120
Temporary fillingabout EUR 80
Paid by travel health insuranceabout EUR 200 against receipts
Crown at home after returnvia health fund and any dental top-up

The emergency treatment costs you nothing; the final crown is paid at home by your health fund and any dental top-up insurance. Guide values from our quoting practice.

What travel health insurance pays at the dentist

Travel health insurance is there to get you through an acute emergency. At the dentist that means relieving pain, a simple filling, fixing a broken crown temporarily or repairing a denture.

Anything beyond first aid belongs to your dentist at home. The insurer does not pay for final treatment that could just as well be done after you return.

TreatmentPaid by travel health insurance?
Pain relief, such as opening a root canalyes
Simple fillingyes
Temporary crown or bridgeyes
Repair of a denture or braceyes in many tariffs
New crown, bridge or implantno
Orthodontic treatmentno
Treatment already planned before the tripno

Limits in the tariffs

Dental cover abroad varies a lot between tariffs. The German consumer test checks whether pain relief and temporary dentures are refunded with no amount limit and no waiting period, even without an accident.

Basic tariffs sometimes cap dental treatment per trip or only pay for dentures after an accident. These differences are in the terms, not in the advert.

What the German health fund adds

In the EU you can see a dentist in the public system with your EHIC. The refund is at most the German rate; for dentures the fund only pays a fixed subsidy and only with approval in advance.

Travel health insurance pays the rest of the dentist bill as far as the acute treatment is concerned. Outside the EU it is usually the only payer.

See your own dentist before you go

If a filling or crown is due, have it done before the trip. If a tooth that already needed treatment breaks on holiday, the insurer may reduce the dentist payment because of its condition before departure.

A check-up a few weeks before a long-haul trip costs little and often saves an expensive treatment abroad.

Step by step

  1. Finish open dental treatment before the trip.
  2. In an emergency only have what is necessary done.
  3. Ask for a bill with tooth numbers and diagnosis.
  4. Send the receipts in after your return.
  5. Plan the final treatment at home.

Checklist

  • Pain relief with no amount limit
  • Temporary dentures even without an accident
  • Denture repair included
  • No waiting period
  • Bills naming the teeth

Common mistakes

  • Having a permanent crown made on holiday
  • Ignoring a known problem tooth before a long trip
  • Accepting bills without tooth details
  • Thinking dentures abroad are covered more cheaply

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Does it pay for a root canal?

Opening and pain relief, yes.

The full root canal treatment usually only if it cannot wait until you are home.

Is an implant abroad paid?

No.

Implants are planned dentures, not emergency care.

Do I pay the dentist abroad upfront?

Almost always.

You then send the bill to the insurer.

Do I still need private cover for the dentist in the EU?

Yes, if you go to a private practice or the health fund only pays part.

The EHIC does not cover private treatment.

Sources

NAMMERT insurance broker

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Related questions

Your broker: Norman Nammert, trading as NAMMERT.

Insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act.

Broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH is a separate company.

It does not arrange your contract.

Statutory disclosure (German) · Updated

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