Do I get the 20 percent share back?

Yes, the fund refunds it when treatment is completed as planned. Some supplementary tariffs pay it upfront so you do not have to.

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Is dental insurance for children and braces worth it in Germany?

In short

Dental insurance for children is usually worth it in Germany if you take it out at age three to six, before an orthodontist finds a problem. Good children's tariffs cost about EUR 4 to 20 a month. For mild misalignment (KIG 1 and 2) public insurance pays nothing for braces, and parents often pay EUR 2,500 to 7,000 themselves.

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Is dental insurance for children and braces worth it in Germany?

What it costs

Costs of braces and premiums for children's tariffs in Germany from published guides and tests.

Example	Typical range
Children's tariff with orthodontics, monthly premium	about EUR 4 to 20
Braces at KIG 1 and 2, fully private	about EUR 2,500 to 7,000
Fixed braces at KIG 3, private extras	about EUR 500 to 2,000
Tooth-coloured brackets instead of metal	about EUR 500 to 1,000

Guide values, as of October 2026.

Costs depend heavily on practice, duration and type of braces.

The orthodontist's treatment plan is what counts; we find a suitable children's tariff for you.

Worked example

Signed at four, braces at ten

A child is insured at age four. At ten the orthodontist finds mild misalignment (KIG 2), so public insurance pays nothing. The tariff refunds 80 percent, up to EUR 3,000.

Premium EUR 10 a month, nine years to end of treatment	EUR 1,080
Treatment cost per plan	EUR 4,300
80 percent of that, limited by the cap	EUR 3,000
Your share of the bill	EUR 1,300

Without insurance you pay EUR 4,300, with it EUR 1,300 plus EUR 1,080 in premiums, about EUR 1,900 less. If your child never needs braces, the premiums are the price of certainty.

When public insurance pays for braces

Whether German public health insurance (GKV) pays depends on the orthodontic indication groups, KIG for short. They run from 1 (mild) to 5 (very pronounced).

The fund only pays from KIG 3. Even then you first pay 20 percent of the public share and get it back once treatment is completed as planned. Anything beyond the basic public treatment you always pay yourself.

Grade	What public insurance pays	What parents pay
KIG 1 and 2, mild	nothing	the whole treatment, about EUR 2,500 to 7,000
KIG 3	80 percent, after completion 100 percent of the public share	private extras, often about EUR 500 to 2,000
KIG 4 and 5	80 percent, after completion 100 percent of the public share	private extras, up to about EUR 3,000
Tooth-coloured brackets, special wires	nothing	about EUR 500 to 1,000

Why timing decides everything

Insurance only pays for treatment that had not been recommended or diagnosed when you signed. Once your child has a referral to an orthodontist, it is too late for those braces.

Nearly every second child needs braces at some point. At three to six there is usually nothing on record, you can honestly answer no to the health questions, and the waiting period of at most eight months is long over when treatment starts.

What a good children's tariff should pay

For mild cases (KIG 1 and 2) the tariff should provide at least EUR 3,000 for orthodontics, because public insurance pays nothing there. For extras at KIG 3 to 5, EUR 1,000 is the minimum and EUR 1,500 is better.

Check whether the cap applies per treatment or per year and whether cleaning and fillings are included. Tariffs under EUR 3 a month often leave orthodontics out entirely.

Is it still worth it at age ten?

Often not. By then a misalignment is frequently visible or noted by the dentist. Many tariffs ask exactly that and then exclude orthodontics.

If nothing has been mentioned yet, it can still pay off. Read the health questions carefully and answer them in full, or the benefit can be refused later.

When you do not need it

If you could pay EUR 3,000 to 5,000 from savings without strain, the insurance is a matter of convenience. Over eight to ten years at EUR 10 a month you pay about EUR 1,000 to 1,200, even if your child never needs braces.

It also makes no sense once treatment is already planned. Then no tariff pays and you only pay premiums.

Step by step

Check whether the dentist said anything about jaw or tooth position at the last checkup.
Choose a tariff that pays at least EUR 3,000 at KIG 1 and 2.
Answer the health questions fully and honestly.
Sign ideally before your child turns six.
Before treatment starts, send the orthodontist's plan to your insurance.

Checklist

At least EUR 3,000 for KIG 1 and 2
Extras at KIG 3 to 5 at least EUR 1,000, better EUR 1,500
Clear whether the cap is per treatment or per year
No referral to an orthodontist yet
Cleaning and fillings for children included

Common mistakes

Signing only after the dentist has mentioned braces
Choosing a tariff under EUR 3 that does not cover orthodontics
Treating the 20 percent share as lost instead of claiming it back after completion
Answering health questions loosely and later getting nothing

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

At what age should I insure my child?

Three to six is sensible. Usually nothing is known yet, and the waiting period is long over before braces are due.

Does insurance pay if braces were already recommended?

No. Anything recommended or diagnosed when you signed is excluded, with every tariff.

What does KIG mean?

KIG stands for the German orthodontic indication groups. The orthodontist grades the misalignment from 1 to 5; public insurance pays from grade 3.

Does public insurance pay for teenagers over 18?

Usually not. After 18 it only pays for severe jaw misalignment treated together with surgery.

Our child had braces planned in our home country. Does that count?

Yes. A recommendation or diagnosis made abroad also counts as known when you sign, so state it in the health questions.

Sources

NAMMERT insurance broker

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