Root canal treatment, fillings in molars or implants – the list of expensive dental treatments is endless. In the current expensive phase, dental treatment can quickly become a financial burden. FOCUS Online gives ten tips on how to save money on dental treatment.
Dentures are expensive.
In the case of health insurance benefits, you usually have to pay half of the costs yourself, and the personal contribution increases with each supply beyond that.
These tips will help you reduce costs at the dentist.
Anyone who can prove regular check-ups at the dentist will receive an extra subsidy from the health insurance company in addition to the fixed subsidy.
Without a bonus, the statutory health insurance covers around 50 percent of the costs for standard care. Anyone who has been to the dentist once a year for at least five years receives 60 percent of the costs (the fixed subsidy increases by 20 percent). For at least ten years it is 65 percent (the fixed subsidy increases by 30 percent).
Children and young people up to the age of 18 have to go to the dentist twice a year for this. The bonus booklet is issued from the age of twelve.
The dentist ticks “dental examination” for adults and “individual prophylaxis” for children and young people. Examination date and practice stamp are important.
In the best case, supplementary dental insurance can cover 80 to 95 percent of the costs together with the health insurance company’s share. It cushions the high own contribution significantly.
However, the tariffs can differ, which is why you need to read the fine print before you sign up.
The disadvantages:
You should also keep an eye on the total financial expenditure: the amounts range from 13 to more than 60 euros per month, depending on the contract and the age of the insured person. That’s up to 720 euros a year.
Patients can upload their dentist’s treatment plan and cost plan to websites and receive counter-offers from the dentists registered there in an auction – often at significantly lower prices.
However, it can be tricky to enter the details of the treatment and cost plan correctly, and when contacted, the new treatment plan from the new dentist may differ from the quote.
A price comparison on the Internet means no obligation. In any case, you can negotiate better with it at your own dentist.
Dentists with health insurance approval are obliged to offer health insurance services. You must not present these as deficient and you must not make a treatment dependent on an additional private service.
Use your rights as a patient and ask carefully about the possible alternatives:
The options for dentures have never been as numerous as they are today. Have the advantages and disadvantages, durability and your private cost share explained to you for several variants.
Studies have shown that dental treatment plans with the same findings can be very different – also in terms of costs. Therefore, a comparison makes sense, especially in the case of expensive and extensive planning.
Specially qualified dentists in the patient advice centers of the statutory health insurance dentist associations and dental chambers check the treatment and cost plan, the type of therapy proposed and the amount of the personal contribution free of charge. You can also get general information about new treatment methods, treatment alternatives, risks and costs from the regional patient advice centers run by dentists.
The health insurance companies also offer medical second opinions, sometimes with their own doctors or cooperating centers.
You can save money by having dental students treat you. Because in the university clinic, the fees for dentures are reduced or only material costs are charged. In some cases, patients also receive financial compensation because the treatment takes longer because every step is discussed and checked several times.
Another advantage: The dentistry students are usually very motivated, even in later semesters, and supervision by assistant and senior physicians is guaranteed.
Treatment in Southern or Eastern Europe can be significantly cheaper than in Germany. In the case of denture treatment abroad, a treatment and cost plan must be approved by the health insurance company before the start of treatment.
Clarify how many appointments are necessary for the treatment and how many employees in the practice speak and understand German. Insured persons have to pay the bill to the foreign dentist and only then receive the fixed subsidy from the health insurance company.
The catch: If problems arise after treatment, patients are usually worse off than in Germany.
