dental insurance
What is dental insurance??
A private supplementary dental insurance reimburses the costs for dental treatments that are not or only partially covered by the statutory health insurance companies. As a result, they reduce their own contribution to high dental bills.
Because especially when teeth have to be replaced, it often becomes really expensive. High-quality dentures such as an implant quickly cost several thousand euros. At the same time, the health insurance companies have reduced their benefits significantly in recent years.
In order to close this benefit gap and to protect itself from high additional payments in the event of an emergency, 16.01 million Germans had already taken out private dental supplement insurance in 2018 (source: PKV association).
Basic protection of statutory health insurance
If a tooth has to be replaced, the health insurance fund only pays 50 percent of the cost of regular care. This is a simple standard solution that is economical and makes sense according to the current state of dentistry. If you regularly go to dental care and maintain your bonus book, you will receive a subsidy of 10 years maximum 65 percent of these costs.
This is how much statutory health insurance pays with regular provision
| Completely maintained bonus book | Health insurance subsidy * |
|---|---|
| Cost ceramic crown | € 800 |
| health insurance subsidy | – € 157 |
| Own contribution without insurance | = € 643 |
| Own contribution with insurance | € 80 |
| Dental implant costs | € 2,500 |
| health insurance subsidy | – € 363 |
| Own contribution without insurance | = € 2,137 |
| Own contribution with insurance | € 250 |
| Cost filling | € 100 |
| health insurance subsidy | – € 41 |
| Own contribution without insurance | = € 59 |
| Own contribution with insurance | € 10 |
| Dental cleaning costs | € 90 |
| health insurance subsidy | – 0 € |
| Own contribution without insurance | = 90 € |
| Own contribution with insurance | € 9 |
Supplementary dental insurance benefits
In principle, private dental insurance can reimburse the costs for the following benefits: Dentures, dental treatments, prophylaxis (professional tooth cleaning) and orthodontics. The tariffs differ in which service areas are insured and to what extent the benefits are reimbursed. When choosing the right tariff, it is therefore important to consider which services are most important to the insured.
You should pay attention to these services when selecting tariffs
| Adults | children |
|---|---|
| dentures | |
| dental treatments | |
| dental prophylaxis | |
| orthodontics |
dentures
The most important benefit of a dental supplement insurance for adults is the reimbursement of costs for dentures. Crowns, bridges, veneers (thin ceramic shells), inlays or implants are often expensive and the fixed subsidy from the health insurance only covers a small part of the costs. At times, statutory health insurance pays less than 20 percent of the total cost of the dentist, materials, and laboratory.
Very good tariffs offer a cost reimbursement of at least 85 percent for dentures – including expensive implants.
dental treatments
Many tariffs also cover the costs of dental treatment, which statutory health insurance does not pay or only pays in part.
So the health insurance company pays one root canal treatment only for a tooth worth preserving. If the conditions for this are not met, the insured persons must bear the entire costs themselves. Also Plastic fillings The checkout only takes over for front teeth in the visible area, one fissure sealing usually only for the posterior molars in children.
A private dental insurance protects you from a high own contribution in such treatments. For example, a plastic filling costs 100 euros – cash register patients would have to pay almost 60 euros of this themselves.
Prophylaxis (tooth cleaning)
Experts recommend having professional teeth cleaning done once or twice a year. Hard and soft plaque is removed. Pay good dental insurance at least once a year for professional teeth cleaning. The reimbursement is usually limited to a certain maximum amount per year.
Prophylaxis benefits are not critical
Tooth cleaning costs around 100 euros depending on the region and dentist. These costs are comparatively low and are incurred regularly. We therefore recommend paying more attention to the dental prosthetic services when choosing a tariff, which can easily amount to a thousand euros or more.
orthodontics
It is important for children and adolescents that private dental insurance pays for orthodontic treatments. Because every second adolescent needs an expensive tooth correction.
A visit to an orthodontist may also be necessary in adults to correct an existing malposition.
Good dental supplements reimburse up to 100 percent of the costs. The services are mostly for children and adolescents up to the age of 18 paid and depend on which orthodontic indication group (KIG) is present. However, a malposition must not have been diagnosed before the contract is concluded so that the insurance company reimburses the costs.
Minor malpositions of the teeth are classified as KIG 1 or 2, the statutory health insurance does not cover any costs. Groups KIG 3 to 5 are pronounced to extremely pronounced malpositions. In these cases, the health insurance companies provide basic care. Good dental insurance for children should primarily reimburse the additional costs for high-quality therapies – such as brackets, lingual retainers or internal braces (lingual technique).
What does a good dental supplement insurance cost??
Dental rates with good benefits are already for a 30 year old from 10 euros per month to have. Tariffs with a lower scope of services already exist from five euros per month.
In addition to the desired scope of insurance are the cost of insurance too depending on personal factors – like the age of the policyholder.
| power stage | Low | Good | Very good |
|---|---|---|---|
| dentures | less than 70% | at least 70% | at least 85% |
| dental treatment | less than 75% | at least 75% | at least 90% |
| dental prophylaxis | less than 60 € / year | at least 60 € / year | at least 130 € / year |
| contribution | from 5 € per month | from € 10 per month | from € 18 per month |
Pay contributions annually
You can pay your contributions monthly or annually. Many insurers offer a discount for annual payments.
Tariffs by type of life insurance or non-life insurance
There are two types of premium calculation for dental supplementary insurance: by type of life insurance or by type of non-life insurance.
At tariffs that follow Type of life insurance are calculated, aging provisions are saved. These provisions are intended to keep contributions as stable as possible in old age. Economic increases in contributions due to increased expenditure are still possible.
At tariffs that follow Type of damage insurance no provisions are set up. The contribution is therefore usually lower at the beginning. In return, it rises regularly – every year or at age group tariffs about every five to ten years, since the risk of dental diseases increases with age. Most dental insurance policies are calculated this way.
Tariff according to the type of life insurance only makes sense in the long term
A tariff based on the type of life insurance only makes sense if you want to keep the insurance for the long term. If you change the insurer later or terminate the contract, the saved aging provisions will be lost.
Supplementary dental insurance without waiting?
As a rule, insured persons have to wait about three to eight months from the start of insurance before they can claim benefits from their dental supplementary insurance.
However, there are also Tariffs without waiting, who pay immediately from the start of insurance. Such tariffs also usually have tooth scales – the amount of the reimbursements is then significantly limited in the first few years. However, treatments that were started before the insurance was taken out or were advised by a dentist are excluded.
After an accident, however, dental supplementary insurance pays immediately. In this case, the waiting times do not apply to necessary treatments. Even for a professional teeth cleaning usually applies no waiting time. As a rule, insured persons can immediately exhaust the maximum amount for dental prophylaxis.
In the CHECK24 tooth supplement comparison, you can search specifically for tariffs without waiting.
Accurate checks on early treatments
In the case of a tariff without a waiting period, insurers usually examine claims for benefits closely if they are made shortly after the start of the insurance. They then often request the patient’s file from the dentist to rule out the fact that it is treatment that was advised before the end.
Frequently asked questions about dental supplement insurance
For whom does dental supplement insurance make sense??
A dental insurance is useful for those insured by law who are protect against high dentist bills would like.
Because Pay health insurance companies for medically necessary treatments only 50 percent for a simple standard solution. Then especially for dentures Own contribution at several thousand euros lie. Supplementary dental insurance is therefore worthwhile for all age groups – from children and adolescents to seniors. For this reason, 16.01 million Germans have already opted for private dental supplement insurance in 2018.
What does regular care mean?
For dental treatment, regular care is understood to mean the performance of statutory health insurance (GKV). This is usually the most cost-effective care that makes medical sense.
Health insurance companies only pay a fixed subsidy for dentures. This grant is as high as that Half the cost of regular care. If the bonus booklet is kept without gaps, the share rises to up to 65 percent of the standard care.
The rest of the costs must be paid by the insured person out of their own pocket if they do not have dental insurance. Expensive dentures, such as an implant, can quickly cost 2,000 euros or more.
I have to answer health questions?
Before taking out dental insurance, you usually have to answer health questions. Here you have to indicate whether teeth are missing or have already been replaced by dentures, such as an implant or a crown.
In addition, the insurers usually ask whether you are currently being treated by a dentist or orthodontist or whether treatment is planned. However, you do not have to specify regular check-ups.
There are also tariffs without a health check where you don’t have to answer any questions. However, such tariffs generally do not pay for the replacement of teeth that are already missing.
Answer health questions truthfully
Answer the health questions with an application as accurately and truthfully as possible. Otherwise you endanger your insurance cover.
Can I change my dental insurance??
Yes, you can change your private dental supplement insurance.
If you change, you must observe the cancellation period of your previous insurance. This is usually three months to the end of a year. There is usually also a minimum contract term of one or two years. You can only cancel the insurance after this period has expired.
You also have a special right of termination if your insurance increases the premiums. After announcing a premium increase, you have four weeks to cancel the contract.
Do not cancel your insurance until you have concluded a new contract so that you are insured without interruption.
Also check whether you have a life insurance plan with stable contributions in old age. You would lose the accrued aging reserves if you changed providers. Therefore, a change of provider is usually not worthwhile here.
First check your insurer’s offers
If you want to change the tariff, you should first check the offers of your current insurer. Because when you switch to a different company, saved aging provisions are lost. Waiting times and tooth relays then start again.
Waiting times can be waived for comparable services
If your old insurance company offers comparable services to the new tariff, some companies will waive the usual waiting period.
Are the contributions to a dental supplement insurance tax deductible?
The contributions to a dental supplementary insurance can theoretically be stated in the tax return. In most cases, however, the contributions have no practical effect.
Employees and civil servants can currently pay up to € 1,900 a year pension costs tax claim, self-employed and freelancers an amount of 2,800 euros. This also includes contributions to private dental supplement insurance.
However, the maximum amount is usually already exhausted by contributions to health and long-term care insurance. The tax office takes into account the cost of basic health insurance. The contributions therefore usually no longer reduce income tax.
When can I start taking out supplementary dental insurance??
When you can start using services depends on the respective tariff.
As a rule, private dental supplement insurance is provided only after a wait. This means that the benefits can only be used after a certain period of time – for example, six months after the start of insurance. For a professional teeth cleaning there is no waiting time for almost all tariffs.
There are also many tariffs without waiting, which are payable immediately from the start of insurance. However, treatments are also here advised before signing the contract were mostly excluded from insurance cover.
There is usually also one for the amount of the reimbursements dental Season. This season determines the amount up to which benefits are reimbursed. Refunds are usually limited in the first few years of the contract.
The comparison of CHECK24 offers these advantages
With CHECK24 you can find the right dental supplement insurance quickly and easily. Our comparison is free and non-binding and takes into account overall over 150 tariffs – including offers from well-known insurers such as Allianz, ARAG, ERGO and SIGNAL IDUNA as well as many Test winner of the magazine Finanztest from Stiftung Warentest.
You can see the services and contributions of the individual tariffs at a glance. In a detailed comparison, you can compare up to three tariffs and download the tariff conditions with a click of the mouse. You can request an offer by email or post – many tariffs can also be concluded directly online.
If you have any questions, our customer advisors will be happy to help you personally and will continue to support you after the conclusion – if you need to submit invoices or want to check your insurance cover.
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