All about this insurance: Dental insurance
Is dental insurance worth it in Germany?
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What does supplementary dental insurance cover in Germany?
In short
Supplementary dental insurance (Zahnzusatzversicherung) pays the part public health insurance leaves open. Good tariffs reimburse 80 to 100 percent of the bill for crowns, bridges and implants, including the public subsidy, ceramics too. Depending on the tariff, fillings, root canal and gum treatment and a budget of about EUR 100 to 200 a year for professional cleaning are added.
What it costs
Typical costs and own shares that supplementary dental insurance absorbs.
| Example | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Implant with crown, total cost around EUR 5,000 | own share without cover about EUR 4,300 to 4,400 |
| Full ceramic crown instead of standard crown, around EUR 800 | own share without cover about EUR 500 |
| Ceramic inlay, around EUR 900 | own share without cover about EUR 800 to 850 |
| Professional cleaning | about EUR 80 to 120 per session |
Guide values as of September 2026, from published cost examples. Your bill depends on practice, region and diagnosis. Which tariff closes your gap, we check in the quote.
Worked example
Implant on a back tooth, policy running for six years
This is how a bill of around EUR 5,000 is split when the tariff pays 90 percent including the public subsidy and the caps of the first years have expired.
| Bill for implant with crown | about EUR 5,000 |
| Fixed subsidy from the public fund | about EUR 700 |
| Tariff tops up to 90 percent of the bill | about EUR 3,800 |
| Your own share | about EUR 500 |
Without supplementary cover around EUR 4,300 would remain with you, with a good tariff about EUR 500.
What public insurance pays and what remains open
For crowns, bridges and implants, statutory health insurance (GKV) pays a fixed subsidy (Festzuschuss). It is 60 percent of the standard treatment (Regelversorgung), the simplest adequate solution. With five years of complete bonus booklet (Bonusheft) it is 70 percent, with ten years 75 percent. Newcomers start at 60 percent.
If you choose something better than the standard, such as an implant instead of a bridge or ceramic instead of metal, the subsidy stays the same. You pay everything above it. This is exactly the gap supplementary cover closes.
Benefits at a glance
Not every tariff pays for everything. The table shows what good tariffs usually include and where you should look closely.
| Treatment | What good tariffs pay | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Crowns, bridges, dentures | 80 to 100 percent including public subsidy | whether the percentage includes the public share or not |
| Implants | like other dental prosthetics | limits on the number of implants per jaw |
| Bone grafting | included in many tariffs | some tariffs exclude it |
| Inlays and composite fillings | often 80 to 100 percent | only in tariffs with a treatment module |
| Root canal and gum treatment | depends on the tariff | not every tariff pays if the fund refuses |
| Professional cleaning | budget about EUR 100 to 200 a year | number of sessions or fixed euro amount |
| Orthodontics for adults | rarely and limited | usually only after an accident or for extra premium |
Billing above the standard rate
Dentists bill private treatment under the fee schedule for dentists (Gebührenordnung für Zahnärzte, GOZ), often with a multiplier above the simple rate. Good tariffs reimburse up to the maximum rate of the fee schedule. Cheap tariffs cap this and leave part of the bill with you.
So do not just ask for the percentage, but also up to which multiplier the tariff pays.
Treatment outside Germany
Many tariffs also pay for treatment abroad, often limited to the EU or to a few months per trip, and usually only up to what German fee schedules allow. If you want dental work done in your home country, check this clause and send the treatment plan to the insurer before you start.
Bills in other languages may need a translation. Ask the insurer which documents it accepts.
What supplementary dental insurance does not pay
Treatment recommended or started before the policy began is excluded. Teeth already missing when you sign are often not covered or cost a surcharge. In the first years, caps limit the reimbursement.
Most tariffs do not pay for purely cosmetic treatment such as bleaching. Orthodontics for adults is rarely included.
When you do not need a big tariff
If your teeth are healthy and you would choose the standard treatment when needed, public insurance goes a long way. If you only want to cover cleaning, a pure prevention tariff often costs about as much as it pays out. The real risk lies in crowns and implants, and that is where your cover should start.
Step by step
- Decide whether crowns and implants, fillings or cleaning matter most to you.
- Compare reimbursement including the public subsidy, not just the percentage.
- Ask up to which multiplier of the fee schedule the tariff pays.
- Check the caps of the first years and any limits on implants.
- Check cover for treatment abroad if you want care in your home country.
- Put quotes with the same cover side by side.
Checklist
- Crowns and implants with at least 80 percent including the public subsidy
- Implants and bone grafting included
- Reimbursement up to the maximum rate of the fee schedule
- Fillings and root canal treatment, if you want them
- Caps of the first years known
- Cover abroad clarified
- No recommended treatment open
Common mistakes
- Taking a cleaning-only tariff for protection against crown and implant costs
- Confusing reimbursement with and without the public subsidy
- Overlooking limits on implants or on the fee multiplier
- Leaving recommended treatment off the application
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Does it pay for implants?
Good tariffs do, like other prosthetics. Watch for limits on the number of implants and on bone grafting.
Does it cover professional cleaning?
Many tariffs do, usually with a fixed annual budget of about EUR 100 to 200 or a set number of sessions.
Does it pay for fillings?
Only tariffs with a treatment module. Composite fillings and inlays are then often reimbursed at 80 to 100 percent.
What about braces for adults?
Only a few tariffs pay, usually with limits. For children there are separate tariffs with orthodontics.
Does it pay if the public fund pays nothing?
Many tariffs do, for example for inlays. Some then deduct a notional subsidy. Ask about this.
Do I have to pay the dentist first?
Usually yes. You pay the bill and submit it with the treatment plan. Before larger treatment it is worth sending the plan to the insurer for a check.
Sources
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Related questions
How much does supplementary dental insurance cost in Germany?
Good supplementary dental insurance (Zahnzusatzversicherung) usually costs EUR 15 to 30 a month at age 30 to 40, simpl …
When does supplementary dental insurance not pay?
The most common reasons: the treatment was already recommended or started before the policy began, the waiting period …
How much do crowns, bridges and implants cost in Germany, and what does public insurance pay?
A crown usually costs EUR 400 to 1,000, a bridge EUR 900 to 2,000 and an implant with crown EUR 2,000 to 4,500 per too …
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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