Germany has many social benefits for their citizens and expats. If you aren’t used to things like public insurance, you might miss out on the many benefits being a German citizen or working there will give you. Dentist visits might be on top of the list, since they aren’t exactly popular, no matter your insurance status. If you want to make use of the benefits of German health insurance and go visit a dentist, this article will help you find one.

Dentists in Germany

This article will cover what you have to expect when going to the dentist in Germany, how much dental care costs, and how to find a qualified dentist in Germany. We will be using a highly rated dentist in Essen (Stadtwaldpraxis Dentist Essen), North Rhine-Westphalia, as an example.

Insurance in Germany

Germany has mandatory social insurances for every citizen. If you are working in Germany, your employer will cover the cost for your health insurance and deduct a small percentage of the cost from your pay in return. It’s worth it. With a German health insurance, the cost for most necessary medical treatments will be covered. In comparison to an emergency in the US, which can cost you a lot of money, a hospital stay might cost a German citizen a fee of €10 or so for a night.

Insurances in Germany can be public health insurances or private health insurances. Private insurances are typically more expensive and have a more comprehensive service. With a private insurance, you have access to private doctors, better rooms in hospitals, and much more.

The Costs for Dentist Appointments

How much a health insurance covers, depends on the specific provider. At the very least, a public health insurance in Germany covers the cost for:

• Basic Fillings (Acrylic as Opposed to Ceramic)
• Basic Teeth Cleaning (Removal of Tartar) Once per Year
• Two Annual Check-Up Appointments

As a general rule, smaller medically necessary treatments are fully covered. Some bigger treatments, optional treatments, or the use of more expensive materials might be covered in part. In these cases, the insured person will have to pay the rest out of their own pocket.

The health insurance might cover 30 to 60 percent of the treatment. Smaller treatments, like a professional cleaning, costs an estimated €50 to €120. A bigger treatment, like an implant with a ceramic crown, will run you about €2,500 to €3,500. In these cases, you will be happy about any cost you won’t have to cover yourself.

There are also supplementary dental insurances you can add to your regular insurance for an additional fee. How high these are, depends on several factors, like the provider, the covered treatments, your age, gender and more. These insurances might cost something between €10 to €50 a month. In exchange, they cover things like high-quality dentures, professional teeth cleaning, bleaching and more, often for around 90 percent of the treatment cost.

Finding a Good German Dentist

Finding a dentist in Germany is not hard. Lists of them can be found online. Google Maps shows you the closest practices in your vicinity. If you want a complete list of Germany’s accredited dentists and their specializations, you can find it in the National Association of the Statutory Health Insurance Dentists listings.

In general, they are a highly accredited and qualified. However, they can differ in their specializations and the exact array of services and treatments available there. For example, some dentists might have their own denture lab, which will make getting any kind of denture work done much faster.

You might have some problems when it comes to language barriers. As an English speaker, you are in luck. English is a language frequently taught and learned in Germany, and many German citizens can understand and communicate basic sentences. Doctors are often required to learn English for their studies. Some other staff members might lack more extensive English skills, especially when it comes to specialist terms. In bigger cities, you will find some dentists that advertise their English-speaking office.

This is where a practice like the Stadtwaldpraxis Zahnarzt Essen shines. Their dentists and staff members offer treatments in six languages:

• German,
• English,
• Serbian,
• Croatian,
• Russian &

Dentist Websites

A dentist’s website will let you know about the practice and their services. If the doctors and staff members have any kind of specialization, you will find it mentioned here. Most will cover the basic treatments, like Prophylaxis and Periodontology. Implantology and Bleaching are common fields as well.  Some practices offer a wider array of aesthetic dentistry than others. The Stadtwaldpraxis Essen specifically mentions their sports mouth guards and anti-snoring devices. Expertise in these fields cannot be found in any dentist’s office.

Conclusion

German dentists are highly qualified and offer a wide variety of treatments, from prophylaxis to the treatment of illnesses and adding prostheses. You can find available dentists online. Their websites will tell you any necessary information, including their specializations and available treatments.

Among the dentists in Essen, the Stadtwaldpraxis can communicate in six different languages and offers high-quality treatments in many fields. This includes common dentist treatments, but also the treatment of snoring and fitting sports mouth guards. Many of these treatments are, at least in part, covered by German health insurances.