How much does dental insurance cost in Germany — and is it worth it?

Each insurer sets its premiums per tariff. Typical factors are the level of benefits (for example 70, 90 or 100 percent reimbursement), the areas included (dentures, fillings, professional cleaning, orthodontics) and your age, which in many tariffs determines your age group. Some providers ask health questions, for example about missing teeth or ongoing treatment.

We deliberately do not quote general market prices here: premiums change and depend on the tariff and on the individual case. A binding premium is only stated in the provider's offer.

Two tariffs with a similar premium can pay out very different amounts. What matters is the cost that remains for you after statutory health insurance (GKV) and the supplementary tariff have paid. For dentures, the GKV pays a fixed subsidy (Festzuschuss) towards the standard care — 60% of its average cost, more with a well-kept bonus booklet. Anything beyond that is your own share. A supplementary tariff can cover part of this share, depending on its conditions.

• Eligible fees: dentists bill private services according to the fee schedule for dentists (GOZ). Tariffs define up to which rate they reimburse; the DFV ZahnSchutz conditions, for example, reimburse up to the maximum rate of 3.5 times the GOZ fee.
• Reimbursement level: check whether the percentage refers to the whole invoice including the GKV payment or only to the remaining costs — tariffs define this differently.
• Benefit limits in the first years: many tariffs cap the total payout at the start. In the DFV ZahnSchutz Exklusiv 100 tariff (version 01.08.2025) the caps are €1,750 in the first 12 months, €3,500 in 24, €5,250 in 36 and €7,000 in 48 months; they do not apply to prophylaxis or to accidents that happen after the start of the contract.
• Waiting periods: some tariffs only pay after a waiting period. ARAG's conditions (A899, 4.2026; tariffs Dent70 to Dent100, No. 3 “Supplementary tariff provisions”) waive the waiting periods for dental treatment, dentures and orthodontics when an ARAG dental supplement tariff is taken out for the first time; for later contract changes, the waiting-period rules apply to the added cover; the DFV ZahnSchutz conditions state that there are no waiting periods.
• Exclusions: often excluded are treatments started, recommended or known before signing, and teeth that were already missing at the start of the contract (as in the DFV ZahnSchutz conditions).

These are examples from individual tariffs, not market rules. Every tariff has its own conditions.

Regular costs such as professional teeth cleaning (PZR) are predictable. PZR is not a regular GKV benefit; some statutory health insurers pay a voluntary subsidy. If a tariff covers cleaning, compare its yearly amount with what you would pay yourself.

High costs arise above all with dentures and implants, and with orthodontics for adults, which the GKV generally covers only in severe cases. This is where the reimbursement level and the limits in the first years have the strongest effect.

If your dentist has already recommended a treatment, or it has started, a newly signed supplementary insurance will usually not pay for it. The DFV ZahnSchutz conditions, for example, exclude treatments started, medically recommended or known before signing, as well as the replacement of teeth that were already missing. Answer health questions completely and truthfully and check the conditions of the specific tariff.

An insurance is mainly useful for costs you could not easily pay yourself. Compare over several years: the premiums you pay in total, the amounts the tariff would reimburse within its limits, and the share you would still bear. If you have savings and mainly expect routine costs, your own reserves can be an alternative. If you want protection against larger, unplanned costs, the limits and exclusions are decisive. There is no guaranteed saving.

Fictitious example (not a real tariff): you pay €30 a month, i.e. €360 a year. In the first year a crown leaves you an own share of €900. A tariff that reimburses 90% of that share pays €810 — but only if its limit for the first year is at least that high. With a first-year limit of €500 it pays €500. Without any treatment, you pay €360 that year and receive nothing.