Dental insurance: how to save costs, dentolo

Dental insurance: When the costs are really worthwhile

Supplementary dental insurance helps you with the financing of treatments at the dentist. But what services does the insurer take over? And what are the monthly fees? Find out how a comparison helps you with your search and how to save money with private dental insurance.

What is a dental supplement insurance?

A private supplementary insurance
It increases the reimbursement of your statutory health insurance
Thus dentures are subsidized with significantly higher sums
Even better dentures are supported

An additional dental insurance is a private supplementary insurance. It increases the performance your statutory health insurance covers for your dental treatment. The dental supplement insurance you conclude after choosing the right rate with a private provider and pay a monthly contribution.

The statutory health insurance pays only for the so-called standard care at the dentist. This is the basic care, a mostly compared to very simple dentures. Also for these, the statutory health insurance only one part, the so-called fixed subsidy. For you as a patient often remains a relatively high deductible. If the insured want to afford a better denture, the deductible increases in comparison very strong because the health insurance does not participate in the additional costs and even only the fixed subsidy of the standard care takes over.

Compared to this, depending on the provider and the tariff, a good dental supplement insurance concluded on time takes on much more, from professional teeth cleaning to comprehensive treatment. In the form of a reimbursement, the insured person will be subsidized with higher sums after the insurance has been taken out, and usually better dentures will be supported as well.

Reimbursement of a certain percentage of the treatment costs
Performance even if the statutory health insurance does not pay
Not only subsidizes the standard care
Enables better material for crowns and inlays
Implants can also be taken over

Particularly in the field of dental prostheses, the dental insurance provides a clearly noticeable cost coverage with a good tariff.

It subsidizes, if this is included in the tariff, even your new teeth, if the statutory health insurance does not bring any benefit or subsidizes only the standard care. For example, you can take out a dental insurance that gives you a better material for crowns and inlays, such as ceramic or a telescopic denture instead of a staple prosthesis. Many suppliers of dental restorative dental insurance companies also pay for implants in certain tariffs.

But even if you opt for standard care: A dental insurance takes in comparison significantly more of the high cost, even up to 100%, depending on the tariff.

Supplementary dental insurance: Why it can be worthwhile for you

Almost everyone needs a dental treatment over the years
The GKV takes over only small part
Only the cheapest dentist care is subsidized by the GKV
Prophylactic measures taken by the dental insurance can protect you from tooth loss

Dental treatments are quickly becoming expensive. As well as you care for your teeth: Over the years, almost everyone needs dentures, an implant or fillings sooner or later. The statutory health insurance companies do not pay many of these treatments to the dentist or often take only a small part of the benefits. Also, you usually get subsidized only the cheapest care, which is often not very high quality and aesthetic.

Many patients also have special needs that are not considered by the statutory health insurance. For example, only metal materials are used for crowns, bridges and fillings. Implants, such as for stabilizing a poorly fitting lower jaw prosthesis are not provided and also preventive services, such as the recommended professional teeth cleaning are usually not or rarely adopted.

But for a relatively small monthly amount you can better secure yourself: Supplementary dental insurance is a very good solution for getting better performance and reducing the high costs of dentists.

What services does a dental insurance take over??

Dentures: Dental insurance pay with standard care

The insurance company should, of course, provide subsidies for the standard restorations for dentures in the form of crowns, bridges and prostheses. Even if these services are taken over by the statutory health insurance companies in half, the dental insurance should pay the other half in large parts.

A good insurance pays the entire share or at least 80 to 90 percent of your dentures.

With a lower reimbursement you should not be satisfied.

Dentures: Dental insurance pay similar care

If your dentist disguises your crowns with a tooth-colored layer in the invisible area, this treatment is not included in the statutory health insurance coverage. These same supplies should pay a dental supplement insurance.

Dental insurances pay for professional teeth cleaning, restorations and root canal treatment

Also, preventive care and special treatments, such as professional teeth cleaning, which are not covered by the statutory health insurance funds, should be included in the tariff for insured persons.

This includes, for example:

Implants are taken over?

An implant treatment can quickly cost between € 1,400 and € 2,200 per implant. Even if the statutory health insurance recommends a bridge in the case of a tooth gap and takes over half of it accordingly, many patients choose a different type of tooth replacement in the form of a dental implant.

Nevertheless, you only receive the appropriate bridge allowance for an implant. If you are interested in more modern dentures, you should also make sure that this is supported in your tariff with a corresponding subsidy and you are sufficiently insured.

In order to protect yourself from high costs for multiple dentures, some tariffs for implants reserve a maximum amount of reimbursement. Likewise, most dental insurance companies limit the number of implants you take. Make sure that your insurer supports at least four implants per jaw.

As a rule, private dental insurance does not pay the entire cost of an implant. The reimbursement ranges from under 10 percent up to a 100% reimbursement.

Pay dental supplements inlays?

The reimbursement for inlays is very similar to that for implants. The statutory health insurances only support the inlay in the amount of the costs for an amalgam filling. The own contribution for an inlay is between 300 and 700 €, depending on the size and position of the hole to be filled.

Supplementary insurances with low premiums covering only primary care will not reimburse inlays. Other additional fares, however, are the cost of inlays complete.

The supplementary insurance assumes a general anesthetic?

Dental treatment should be as painless as possible. In dentures, the dentist usually performs a local anesthetic on the tooth, which is paid by the statutory health insurance. General anesthesia, on the other hand, is a major burden on the body and is quite expensive. The cost of general anesthesia starts at 200 €. These are taken over by the statutory health insurance only under very special conditions:

On the one hand, if this is medically necessary and local anesthesia is not enough
On the other hand, if there are allergies to local anesthetics
Even anxious patients can take the cost of general anesthesia (evidence of phobia by a psychiatric report)

If you want a general anesthetic at the dentist, but are not in the official sense a fear patient, a dental insurance can help.

Supplementary dental insurance tariffs usually cover a maximum amount of anesthesia per year, ranging from € 200 to € 500.

What are the differences in the tariffs?

different monthly contributions
with and without different bridging time
with and without different high sum limits
with and without implants

The differences in tariffs are great: The monthly contributions are very different and start at about 8 € per month, but the contribution can also be 50 € or more. The more you pay, the greater the benefit an insured person can expect. Within the same price range, however, you should make a targeted comparison, because there are some differences between insurers as well.

For example, pay attention to the Sum limit, which is different high. This term indicates the total amount to be reimbursed in one insurance year.

Even when waiting, there are major differences. Ask yourself here: Do you have good teeth? Then you can take a long wait and get better benefits. Or do you suspect that you will soon need new teeth? Then choose a tariff with a short bridging time and possibly lower benefits. Or maybe you even have missing teeth? Then you should choose one of the few tariffs that protect you even if you already have acute treatment needs or have already started treatment.

Additional insurance costs: how much does security cost?

The cost of additional insurance depends on the offer and scope of services. The more services it covers, the more expensive the tariff. Many people are unaware that the amount of the monthly contribution is not calculated according to income, but according to age and dental condition. Often, a health check is carried out before the contract is concluded.

There are basically two types of contribution calculation:

On the one hand, there are tariffs in which the monthly contribution gradually increases with age
On the other hand, the monthly contribution can be determined once by the age at the conclusion of the contract

Insurers are not required to insure a patient and can therefore exclude patients with gaps in their teeth or bad teeth. If the insurance company accepts the patient with a gap, however, he will have to pay a correspondingly higher contribution to compensate for the upcoming dentures with certainty.

Is it worthwhile to have a dental insurance for you?

A dental insurance is worthwhile in many cases. In particular, for cash patients, it may be advantageous, even if you are sure that in the case of dentures you will always choose the appropriate standard care, such as a bridge or not tooth-colored crown.

For high quality treatments

Supplementary dental insurance is also usually useful for treatments that are not considered as standard care and are therefore not even subsidized by the SHI with half of the costs.

When changing the insurance

If you already have a dental insurance and looking for other offers, it makes sense first to ask your previous provider for other rates. If you change the tariff within a provider, it is unlikely that you will have to wait again.

For private individuals

For private insured the additional policy is often not worthwhile. This is because the rates of private insurance often include more benefits and therefore also dental care are better covered.

Read the tariff conditions carefully and do not rely on the short description. For example, look for whether the cost of an implant refers to the total cost of implant placement, or just the abutment, the attachment of the implant.

Many patients only realize immediately before an upcoming treatment that a dental insurance would be useful for you. However, it is then no longer possible to complete a policy that covers already incurred dental damage and missing teeth. Therefore, it is advisable to deal with the subject of supplementary dental insurance at an early stage and not only in the event of loss of tooth loss.

What aspects should you consider when choosing your optimal dental insurance??

Stiftung Warentest has tested the largest providers of supplementary dental insurance and awarded grades for the insurers and their tariffs, which should give the consumer orientation. On closer inspection, however, it is noticeable that the grades “very good” and “good” have been awarded so often that they get almost every insurance and the consumer can hardly orientate themselves.

Besides, the devil is also in the detail here: The rating depends on how much you actually get reimbursed in the benefit claim. The amount of the reimbursement of costs, however, does not depend solely on the stated benefit amount in percent.

Nevertheless, we would like to make a comparison and assist you in getting the best private dental insurance. For this we have put together the most important points that you should consider.

When choosing dental insurance, note the following:

Start of benefits: Immediately or with delay (with or without waiting time)?
Performance depends on the GKV?
Amount of the reimbursement for dentures
Limitation of benefits: How many implants are taken over, for example? Where is the limit for the sum of benefits?
Is also included bone structure for implants?
Limitation of material costs and laboratory services?
Are also taken prophylaxis and fillings?

When will actually be done?

Treatments and missing teeth, which were already detected before the conclusion of the insurance, are generally not accepted. Therefore: Do not wait until the case with the graduation. At the beginning of an insurance there is often a waiting period of 3, 6 or 12 months. Only after this time starts the reimbursement.

But there are also insurers who offer tariffs without waiting time or even with retroactive protection for pending and ongoing treatments.

Is the performance dependent on the GKV?

Some insurers make it dependent on the GKV, whether they take in a treatment case at all costs. If the GKV has rejected the fixed subsidy, then also does not provide the dental supplement insurance. Although this case rarely occurs, it is particularly annoying.

How high is the reimbursement of dentures?

The amount of the reimbursement is usually stated in%. Usual and worthwhile are quite 90-100%. But here is great caution: despite the 100% set many insurance limits, which make the initially lower monthly contribution in a different light.

Are the services limited??

Many insurers offer tariffs where performance is staggered: From year to year you get more reimbursed.

It is important to note here that many insurance companies Although offer a 100% dentures, but still set a maximum amount that will be reimbursed. This maximum sum does not determine every insurance. If you assume that you have many dental treatments, you should choose insurance without a maximum sum and take a higher monthly contribution in purchasing. But not only over a maximum amount of performance is often limited, Often, a number of implants are set and a limit on laboratory costs for the dentures.

Especially at this point you should look carefully and compare yourself, because, for example, Stiftung Warentest has awarded the same grades despite these major differences.

Is the bone structure included with implants?

If you suspect that you need implants in the future, it can be very useful, to choose a tariff, which also insured the bone structure. Bone building can be very expensive and drive up the cost of implants.

Are prophylaxis and fillings covered??

Also at this point you should think twice whether you want to forego the cost of professional teeth cleaning and fillings or if it is worthwhile for you. Especially younger patients with healthy teeth should rather choose an insurance company, which offers the reimbursement of preventive care, in order not to have to spend much money later on dentures.

Take a close look at the choice of a dental insurance

The Stiftung Warentest recommends to pay close attention to what each tariff offers. It is not enough to read the short description because it may contain ambiguous explanations of the benefits. For example, an insurance company claims to pay 55-70 percent of the implant costs. However, looking closely, it turns out that this does not apply to the total cost of implant placement, but only to the abutment, such as a crown placed on the implant.

See the entire results at www.test.de/zahnversicherung.

Source: Cover Picture – Stiftung Warentest

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