Dental supplementary insurance for inlays: Top 10 tariffs in comparison & test
If the dentist finds a "hole", i.e. caries, in a tooth, a filling is usually necessary to close the defect. In addition to "normal" fillings, so-called inlays can also be considered as higher quality alternatives. While tooth fillings wear out over time and eventually fail or need to be replaced, inlays fill the tooth permanently and usually last a lifetime. Although it is the highest quality of care, inlays are not covered by the statutory health insurance. If you do not want to bear the high costs for an inlay yourself, you should consider taking out dental insurance, which will pay in this case.
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Dental supplementary insurance for inlays – the top 5 at a glance
Table 1 below shows the best dental insurance rates for inlays. In addition to the reimbursement rate for deposit fillings / inlays, the other columns show the general benefit level in percent and the monthly contribution for a 30-year-old insured person.
| collective name | Refund for inlays | Gen. proficiency | Monthly contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exclusive German family insurance for dental protection | 100% | 100% | € 24.00 |
| The Bavarian ZAHN Prestige | 100% | 100% | € 25.00 |
| Munich Association 571 + 572 + 573 + 574 | 100% | 90-100% | € 24.32 |
| ERGO Direct Premium | 100% | 90-100% | € 21.20 |
| Württemberg ZE90 + ZBE | 100% | 90-100% | € 34.37 |
Among the five tariffs shown in Table 1, the two Stiftung Warentest / Finanztest test winners from 2018 are also the two tariffs of the insurance company Die Bayerische and Deutsche Familienversicherung, which guarantee a 100 percent reimbursement for almost all areas. All tariff services of the individual tariffs can be found on the respective tariff pages. All are linked as follows:
What exactly is an "inlay"?
Inlays are special fillings made of ceramic or gold, which are manufactured precisely in a dental laboratory or computer-aided directly in the dentist’s office and then inserted into the prepared tooth.
They can be considered as a high-quality alternative to conventional fillings made of plastic or amalgam if a tooth shows major damage from caries. As with a filling, an inlay can only be used if there is enough tooth substance after the caries has been removed so that the tooth can withstand the chewing pressure.
Since each inlay is made individually and many treatment steps are necessary, a single inlay can cost up to 800 euros.
Overview of inlays and the alternatives
Compared to fillings, inlays are particularly characterized by their durability and fit. While a conventional plastic filling has to be replaced every 4 to 10 years, an inlay usually lasts a lifetime.
Gold inlays are not tooth-colored and are therefore only used in the posterior region, but they have the best durability. In addition, due to the material properties of the gold, they can be perfectly fitted into the shape of the tooth hole and thus reduce the risk of renewed caries development in the spaces between. Incidentally, they are not made of pure gold, but are processed with other metals, since gold alone would be too soft.
Ceramic inlays are also valued for their longevity and good compatibility. They offer the advantage that their shade can be individually adapted to the tooth shade and that they are difficult to recognize even by experts. Flavor disorders, as is sometimes the case with gold, do not occur with these inlays.
However, only teeth can be restored with an inlay that still contains enough tooth substance so as not to endanger stability. In other cases, a crown or other form of denture must be considered.
Overview of inlays and their alternatives
In the following table 2, two types of inlays with the alternative plastic filling are compared. The advantages and disadvantages, durability, aesthetics and functionality, the cost of a tooth (costs), the fixed subsidy from the statutory health insurance (SHI subsidy) as well as the deductible for patients with and without dental supplement insurance (SB without or with ZZV) discussed for each form of care. With regard to dental supplement insurance, a premium segment tariff with 90 percent reimbursement for inlays and 100 percent reimbursement for plastic fillings is assumed.
| characteristic | ceramic inlay | gold inlay | Plastic filling |
|---|---|---|---|
| benefits | long shelf life, tooth-colored, high biological compatibility | long shelf life, high biological compatibility, very precise fit, low risk of caries | tooth color, lower cost and treatment effort |
| disadvantage | high costs, high treatment costs, tooth is ground | not tooth-colored not for anterior teeth, high material costs, tooth is ground | short-lived, has to be renewed frequently, allergies |
| durability | up to 15 years | more than 15 years | 4 to 10 years |
| aesthetics | very good results | bad results, only posterior teeth | good results |
| functionality | very good results | very good results | good results |
| costs | € 600 | € 800 | € 120 |
| SHI grant | € 20-40 | € 20-40 | € 20-40 |
| SB without ZZV | approx. € 560 | approx. € 760 | about 80 € |
| SB with ZZV | € 60 | € 80 | 0 € |
As Table 2 shows, each form of care is the best in at least one characteristic. While the plastic filling is the clear cost winner and the gold inlay is the winner in terms of durability, the ceramic inlay can prevail against both in several characteristics. Due to its very high biological compatibility, high durability and its very good results from an aesthetic and functional point of view, it is also the most frequently used filling in practice.
What should a good tariff for inlays include??
An inlay can result in very high dental bills. A comparison is worthwhile in order to find the tariff that performs best with an inlay restoration. The following aspects should be considered when searching:
- Reimbursement share of costs: With additional dental insurance, the patient receives the dentist’s invoice and then turns to his insurance company, which reimburses him part of the costs. This percentage is usually 80 to 90 percent. Some providers even reimburse 100 percent of the costs incurred.
- Reimbursement limits: In the first 4 to 5 years, the maximum reimbursement amount for dentures at most insurers is limited by so-called sum limits (approx. 3000 to 4000 euros). Many insurance companies already count inlays under dentures, so special attention should be paid to the total limitation for dentures. In addition, the tariff should not set any limits on the total number of inlays or the maximum refundable invoice amount for inlays.
- Waiting period: In many tariffs there is a waiting period of 8 months after the contract has been concluded, during which no insurance benefits have yet been paid. If you are looking for dental insurance particularly promptly, you can look around for a tariff without waiting times, which often offers similarly good conditions.
- Dental prophylaxis: Inlays are usually necessary if the tooth is badly damaged by caries. However, it is best not to let it get that far. That is why dental care, such as a six-monthly professional tooth cleaning, is of particular importance. A good private dental supplement insurance covers the costs.
- Additional services: Most providers also reimburse the costs for so-called functional diagnostics, in which the interplay of jaws, muscles and teeth is examined in detail. In addition, it is also sensible to assume costs for the CEREC process, in which the inlay is manufactured directly in practice by means of computer measurement.
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