Questions and Answers

Here we answer the most frequently asked questions with respect to a dental treatment in other EU-countries. These statements concern e.g. our cooperation practices in Hungary, Poland, Germany, Spain, and the Czech Republic. Soon, medical institutions in Bulgaria and Slovenia will be added. We would like to help you to find the best treatment options for you and to use the chance for an inexpensive dental treatment by dentists and dental clinics in these countries without any additional and avoidable problems.

1. How do I get to know about the costs of my dental treatment?
2. How long does my dental treatment take?
3. How do I get to the dental practice?
4. Where is my accomodation there?
5. What about the guarantee?
6. Does the health insurance pay a part of the costs?
7. What do I have to take into consideration when having a dental treatment abroad?
8. Why are dental treatments abroad less expensive?
9. Can the treatment start right after the preliminary examination?
10. How do I settle up with the practice after the treatment?
11. Does the practice issue an invoice after the treatment?
12. How long will I have to wait for an appointment?
13. In which countries can I get a treatment and how to claim benefits?
14. Does your health insurer cover the regular white filling? If not, what does it amount to in co-payments?

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1. How do I get to know about the costs of my dental treatment?

The costs vary of course according to the nature and extent of the dental treatment. The material used for the dentures also comes in different types and qualities. With respect to the estimated costs there are three possibilities:

1. Sending a recent x-ray image (not older than 6 months)
2. Sending the heal- and costs-plan of a dentist in your home-country per e-Mail, fax, or post-mail (not older than 6 months)
3. Preliminary examination in the selected dental practice/dental clinic abroad

The documents mentioned above are normally sufficient to have a cost estimate made in other EU countries. This cost estimate is being drawn up according to the existing medical results. Any additional services that might become necessary during the course of the treatment will be calculated extra. Accompanying conservating measures that are not listed in this charge estimate will also be calculated extra. The best variant for an exact cost estimate is of course a preliminary examination in the practice.

In case of extensive treatments please add x-ray images of your teeth that are as recent as possible (e.g. panorama image - you are entitled to have x-ray images handed out to you, you then have to give a receipt for having received them, and you'll have to give them back to the dentist within 6 months). This makes it easier for the foreign dentist to assess and to prepare his treatment.

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2. How long does my dental treatment take?

As soon as the extent of the dental treatment is known, you will get a time-plan together with the cost estimate as well as all further necessary information.

The timeline may be influenced by factors that cannot be foreseen (e.g.: non-foresseable, but necessary root treatments may cause a longer treatment).

Possible inflammations in the oral cavity or paradontosis have to be treated before because dentures cannot be inserted before these have healed.

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3. How do I get to the dental practice?

For the journey you can take the plane, the car, the bus, or the train. Most of the dental practices and dental clinics offer a cost-free transfer from the airport/the station to the hotel/the practice. This also holds true for the journey back home.

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4. Where is my accomodation there?

Every dental practice/dental clinic offers several hotels, pensions, and apartments of different price categories in the vicinity of this practice from which they are easy to reach. Some practices also have own accomodations, some of which are offered for free. The respective dental practice will help you in terms of organizing and booking.

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5. What about the guarantee?

In all countries that joined the EU there is a minimum guarantee of 2 years for your dentures. In addition to that several dental practices offer longer guarantees (up to 5 years).

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6. Does the health insurance pay a part of the costs?

In all countries that joined the EU there is the free choice of doctors. This is based on EU law. The services that a health insurance company covers when being treated in your home country will also be compensated when being treated in other EU countries. To avoid any problems, please consult your health insurance company prior to such a dental treatment.

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7. What do I have to take into consideration when having a dental treatment abroad?

Please have any possible oral inflammations of parodontosis treated in advance because dentures cannot be inserted before these have healed. Bring any already existing x-ray images to your dentist appointment abroad.

For the entry requirements see the chapters at the respective countries.

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8. Why are dental treatments abroad less expensive?

Because of the lower wages, rents, and laboratory costs dentures and dental treatments in the new EU countries are much more inexpensive. The training, quality of the laboratories, and the dental treatments as well as the guarantee periods are comparable to Western standard.

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9. Can the treatment start right after the preliminary examination?

Normally, the therapy plan and the cost estimate is drawn up right after the preliminary examination and theoretically the treatment in the dental practice can start immediately afterwards. At the same time the dates for the next appointments and their duration will be coordinated with the patient.

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10. How do I settle up with the practice after the treatment?

You as a patient will settle up directly with the dental practice. The dental practices prefer a cash payment. If you wish to have other forms of payment please tell your dental practice directly in advance.

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11. Does the practice issue an invoice after the treatment?

Of course you will get a precise invoice, you can choose whether it will be issued in English or German. In case that implants have been used, an implant certificate will be issued, too. This will inform you about the brand of the implant.

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12. How long will I have to wait for an appointment?

In most practices it is possible to get an appointment for the treatment at short notice. Normally you should reckon on two or three weeks time. Of course in times of vacation, Christmas and Easter holidays etc. you should reckon with further delays so it is advised to arrange appointments early enough. Furthermore you should take into account that the practices may be closed at certain periods.

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13. In which countries can I get a treatment and how to claim benefits?

The possibility of claiming of benefits is confined to countries of the EU and EEC as listed below.

• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Denmark
• Germany
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Greece
• Ireland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• The Netherlands
• Austria
• Poland
• Romania
• Sweden
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Czech Republic
• Hungary
• United Kingdom
• Cyprus

Please note that in case of a planned treatment at vacation destinations such as Tunisia, Turkey, Switzerland, and Croatia, which are neither member states of the EU nor EEC, these regulations do not apply.

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14. Does your health insurer cover the regular white filling? If not, what does it amount to in co-payments?

Since the coverage of health insurance companies varies from country to country, you have to gather information on how much you have to co-pay in advance.

In Germany composite fillings are usually not covered by your insurer. Only exceptional cases, such as a medically attested allergy to mercury (part of amalgam) or a serious kidney disease, would justify coverage. Then the dentist will submit the costs of the composite filling directly to your insurer via health insurance card. Otherwise, your insurer will usually cover the part that equals the costs of an amalgam filling.

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