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What does the Bonusheft save on crowns and bridges in Germany?

In short

The Bonusheft, a bonus booklet for dental checkups, raises the public subsidy on crowns and bridges in Germany. In 2026 it goes from 60 to 70 percent after five years without a gap and to 75 percent after ten years, which can save about EUR 138 on a bridge. What it does not do is cover ceramic or implants. From 2027 the rates drop to 50, 60 and 65 percent.

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What does the Bonusheft save on crowns and bridges in Germany?

What it costs

Fixed public subsidies in Germany 2026 per finding, from no bonus to ten years of Bonusheft.

Example	Typical range
Single crown 2026	EUR 239.03 to 298.79 subsidy
Three-unit bridge 2026	EUR 552.96 to 691.20 subsidy
Full upper denture 2026	EUR 576.44 to 720.55 subsidy
Single crown from 2027, using 2026 amounts	about EUR 199 to 259 subsidy

As of October 2026.

The 2027 figures are our own calculation using the 2026 amounts; the actual 2027 subsidies are still to be set.

Your treatment plan is what counts.

Worked example

Ceramic bridge for EUR 1,500, with and without Bonusheft

A back tooth is missing and the fund's standard solution is a three-unit bridge. You choose a ceramic bridge for EUR 1,500, and the plan is approved in 2026.

Subsidy without Bonusheft (60 percent)	EUR 552.96
Your share without Bonusheft	EUR 947.04
Subsidy with ten years (75 percent)	EUR 691.20
Your share with Bonusheft	EUR 808.80

The Bonusheft saves EUR 138.24 here. At the 2027 rates the subsidy with ten years would be only about EUR 599 and your share about EUR 901.

How the bonus works

For crowns, bridges and dentures your public health fund (GKV) pays a fixed subsidy per finding, based on the simplest adequate solution. The Bonusheft raises that subsidy if you can prove regular checkups.

The years before treatment starts are what counts. The table shows the 2026 subsidies for three common findings.

Finding	No bonus (60 %)	5 years (70 %)	10 years (75 %)
Single crown	EUR 239.03	EUR 278.87	EUR 298.79
Three-unit bridge	EUR 552.96	EUR 645.12	EUR 691.20
Full upper denture	EUR 576.44	EUR 672.51	EUR 720.55

What changes in 2027

Under the GKV savings law passed in July 2026, the rates fall by ten points each from 1 January 2027: 50 percent without bonus, 60 percent after five years and 65 percent after ten. Hardship cases on low income stay at 100 percent.

What counts is when your fund approves the treatment plan (Heil- und Kostenplan). If it is approved in 2026, the higher rate still applies to treatment in early 2027. Approval is normally valid for six months.

Using the 2026 amounts, the subsidy for a crown without bonus drops from about EUR 239 to about EUR 199. The exact 2027 amounts have not yet been set.

The rules for a complete record

Adults need one checkup in each calendar year, children and teenagers from 6 to 18 one in each half year. Miss a year and the count starts again.

Within ten years the fund may overlook one missing year if you give a good reason, but you have no right to that. Since 2022 many funds also offer the Bonusheft digitally in their app; the subsidy is the same.

What the Bonusheft does not do

It only raises the fixed subsidy. If you choose ceramic instead of metal, or an implant instead of a bridge, you still pay the extra in full. On expensive work the bonus is a small part of the bill.

It plays no role for fillings, root canals or braces, and there is no cash reward.

Bonusheft and supplementary dental insurance

Many supplementary tariffs pay a percentage of the whole bill including the public subsidy, for example 90 percent. If the subsidy falls, the tariff fills the gap up to that limit as long as the annual caps allow.

Tariffs that calculate from the fixed subsidy will pay less from 2027. Your terms show which kind you have; we are happy to check them for you.

Step by step

Find your Bonusheft or activate the digital version in your fund's app.
Have a checkup every year, children and teenagers every half year.
Check at each visit that the stamp or entry was made.
Show the Bonusheft before any crown or bridge so it goes into the treatment plan.
If work is due, try to get the plan approved in 2026.

Checklist

Every checkup of the last ten years recorded
Missing entries added by former practices
Treatment plan shows the bonus level
Approval before 1 January 2027 if work is due
Checked how your supplementary tariff counts the subsidy

Common mistakes

Skipping one year and restarting the count
Showing the Bonusheft only after treatment has started
Sending the plan too late and losing the higher 2026 rate
Thinking the bonus pays for ceramic or implants

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

I just moved to Germany. Do my checkups abroad count?

As a rule only checkups recorded while you were in the German system count. Ask your fund whether earlier records from abroad can be accepted, but do not rely on it.

I lost my Bonusheft. What now?

Ask your practice for a new one. It can add earlier checkups from its records with dates; for former practices, ask them.

Does a professional cleaning count?

What counts is the checkup by the dentist. Make sure it is confirmed at each visit.

Does the bonus still apply after switching funds?

Yes. The bonus is set by law and the new fund accepts the recorded years.

Does the bonus apply to implants?

Only to the fixed subsidy for the finding, such as the gap. The cost of the implant above that is yours or your supplementary insurance's.

Is it worth planning dental work in 2026?

If it is due anyway, yes. A plan approved in 2026 keeps the higher subsidy even if treatment starts in early 2027.

Sources

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