Cost of a denture

introduction

The term “dentures” refers to artificially produced tooth imitations that are used to replace missing natural teeth. They are made outside of the mouth in dental laboratories. Basically one differentiates between stuck and removable Dentures.

While crowns, partial crowns and bridges are counted as fixed dentures, the group of removable dentures mainly includes partial dentures and total dentures. In addition, there is the option of a combined dental prosthesis, which consists of a fixed and a removable part.

The general purpose of dentures is to restore aesthetics, pronunciation and, above all, the chewing function.

An exact indication of the cost of the dental prosthesis cannot be given as a flat rate, because the price depends individually on the scope of supply and the materials used. The decision for the desired dental prosthesis should not be made dependent on the costs alone, because often patients who consciously choose the cheapest option are unsatisfied in retrospect and have problems with chewing, aesthetics or language skills.

The health insurance companies usually pay a lump sum based on the so-called fixed subsidy system for dentures. This system regulates the health insurance subsidy based on the dental report. This means that every patient always receives the same, fixed health insurance subsidy for an equivalent finding and has to bear the remaining costs himself.
As a rule, the statutory health insurance companies pay around 50% of the costs for so-called standard care. Standard care is the cheapest form of dental prosthesis that can be selected to restore the chewing function, but less emphasis is placed on aesthetics. The patient has to pay for any additional costs that arise from choosing a higher-quality supply.

In addition, the fixed subsidy from the health insurances can be increased by attending regular check-ups at the dentist (bonus system). In this way, the fixed grant can be increased by up to 30%.

Does it make sense to have dentures made abroad for cost reasons?

Since the costs of dentures in Germany appear to be quite high and are no longer affordable for many affected people, many patients orient themselves towards the offers from abroad. The so-called "Dental tourists“Travel abroad to get dentures in Poland, Hungary, Romania or other countries for a lower price. The prices for dentures are in fact much lower than in Germany due to the lower wages, but the guarantee cannot be compared with that in Germany.

A work produced in Germany always has a 2-year guarantee and grace period, abroad this is not granted. Furthermore, more than 50% of the dentists in Germany also work with dental laboratories in China, which is why lower prices can also be offered in Germany on request.The health insurance also subsidizes dentures in laboratories abroad with the same percentage as in Germany.

However, it must be taken into account that with large dentures, a visit to the dentist abroad would be associated with a long-term vacation, as the dental laboratory needs a certain amount of time to complete the dentures. It is therefore advisable to ask your own dentist whether a collaboration with a laboratory in Asia would be possible. Due to the delivery times, the dentures then take longer than in a German laboratory and short-term changes and color decisions cannot be corrected quickly and easily by a local technician.

Dentures should be of very high quality, as they last longer, damage the teeth holding apparatus less and also look better aesthetically. The problem is that inferior dentures are often offered. It can then also be, for example, that the dental prosthesis cannot be easily integrated into the patient's mouth because it simply does not fit or has to be ground in at great expense. Often times, the dentist has a lot more work to do with the work made abroad than with the work made in his usual dental laboratory.

What is a healing and cost plan?

A treatment and cost plan (HKP) is the basic step in planning and creating new dentures. By recording the findings and planning the dental prosthesis, the upcoming costs for the patient are calculated by the health insurance company.

The treatment and cost plan is created by the dentist and checked by the health insurance company and, if necessary, approved, provided that the therapy proposal appears plausible to the health insurance company. The health insurance company determines the findings-based health insurance subsidy individually through the bonus program or a hardship case. The treatment and cost plan is a form on which the total costs are listed. Only after the plan has been sent back by the health insurance company does the patient know the exact amount of the costs that will be incurred. With the signatures of the patient, the dentist and the health insurance company, the treatment and cost plan is valid for 6 months. The dentures must be started during this time.

It may well happen that a therapy plan is not approved by the health insurance company or has to be checked in advance by an expert until it is approved. If the patient chooses the standard care that is available in his or her case, the treatment and cost plan is just a form; for services that go beyond the standard care, a form and an attachment are created. On the form, standard care and planned, more complex care are compared, the total costs are calculated and the findings-based health insurance subsidy is determined. In the annex, the total costs of the planned therapy are specified and compared with the costs of standard care so that the patient knows exactly what additional costs will be incurred.

Separate treatment and cost plans must be drawn up for any periodontal, surgical or orthodontic pretreatment.

As a rule, the patient is responsible for forwarding the treatment and cost plan drawn up by the dentist to his health insurance company. Once they have checked the plan, they send it back to the patient, who then returns to the dentist with the edited plan, who can then start the therapy.

Cost of a denture

The cost of high-quality dentures is often anything but affordable, which is why a large proportion of the population takes out supplementary dental insurance to cover the sums. Dental prostheses are very different in price due to their variance in design and materials.

A full denture in the upper and lower jaw is one of the cheapest types of denture. The variant with a plastic base and plastic teeth is included 500-700 euros per jaw, Ceramic teeth are slightly more expensive.

Partial prostheses differ in model cast prostheses (or model cast prostheses = MEG) or telescopic prostheses. Model cast prostheses are attached to the teeth with cast metal brackets, attachments or metal brackets and are the cheapest option for teeth to be replaced. In many cases, it is considered a health insurance benefit and increases depending on the number of teeth to be replaced.

In addition to implants, telescopic prostheses are considered the gold standard and, thanks to their expandability and good aesthetics, offer very high-quality dentures. With the double crown technique, your own teeth are used to attach the prosthesis. On average, an amount of 800 euros per telescope, the prosthesis on top again accounts for 2000 to 5000 euros additionally off.

The previous prices are the total costs of the denture variants that are subsidized by health insurance or private supplementary insurance, so that the insured only has to bear part of the costs.

Read more here: Cost of a denture, interim denture

Cost of one crown

A crown to replace a tooth is the smallest form of denture. They can be made of metal without or with Veneer or ceramic and varies in price due to the materials. While a non-precious metal crown (NEM crown) for example 400-600 euros costs, a ceramic crown can do more than that Double costs. The price of gold crowns depends on the current price of the raw material, which varies. As a rule, due to the high material price, a total of 800-1000 euros to raise for a gold crown.

In the deciduous dentition, prefabricated steel crowns may be necessary in the case of large carious defects, which are in a price range between 200 and 400 Euros lie.

Cost of a bridge

The cost of a bridge varies depending on the design and material. A ceramic bridge is more expensive than a metal-veneered bridge or a non-precious metal bridge. The length of the bridge and the bridge pontics and bridge teeth included are also important.

A bridge becomes more expensive, the more teeth and gaps are replaced by the bridge, the larger their range is accordingly. A three-unit bridge that includes a gap and two teeth is in a price range of, depending on the material 800 to 1500 euros, this price range would also apply to a cantilever bridge with two teeth and one trailer tooth.

Find out more about the topic here: Dental bridge as a denture

Cost of an implant

Implants are artificial tooth roots that are inserted into the jaw when a tooth is lost or when a tooth is not placed in order to then completely replace teeth in combination with dentures. A dental implant is usually not subsidized by a health insurance company and is a purely private service.

Only in exceptional cases are implants covered by the health insurance, for example due to a tumor or an accident in which the implants have to be used to reconstruct the jaw and face.

Because the implants are a purely private service, the costs vary so widely among dentists that a price comparison can be worthwhile. A price must be expected from around 1000 euros per implant to 2500 euros. The dental prosthesis that is placed on the implant is then subsidized by the health insurance company and, for a single crown, for example, is around 500 to 700 euros. If bones have to be "augmented" before implantation, that is, they have to be built up, costs skyrocket. An augmentation is in a price category 1000 euros upwards, which may also be added. However, one should not be tempted by the cheapest offer, since implant systems have very different qualities and this is also noticeable.

You might also be interested in: Risks of a dental implant

Implants in orthodontic treatments for anchoring wires and arches, so-called palatal implants, are also priced in a four-digit range, depending on the remaining form of therapy and therapy duration.

Cost of veneers

Veneers or veneers represent one of the most aesthetically high quality variants for restoring defects on the outside of teeth in the visible area. They are made of ceramic and colors are applied in individual layers to increase the brilliance of the colors. The cost of the custom-made veneer is between, depending on the design 800 and 1500 euros.