Does dental insurance cover teeth whitening?

You look in the mirror and think: I want whiter teeth. You may want to bleach them. You don’t want to pay high bills, so you might wonder:
“Does dental insurance cover teeth whitening?” Unfortunately, in many cases this is not reimbursed by the health insurer. Bleaching your teeth is not a medically necessary procedure, it is a cosmetic procedure. That is why it does not fall under the basic health insurance package. Only the most comprehensive supplementary dental insurance policies reimburse (in part) teeth whitening. It is good to find out with your health insurer, because this can differ considerably.

Are the costs for teeth whitening paid by your dental insurance?

t is not always clear whether the costs for teeth whitening are reimbursed by the health insurer. In addition, it is not all easy to find out whether teeth whitening is reimbursed at the dentist. Namely, there are often no specific dental treatments that are reimbursed. On the other hand, the amount of the reimbursement is reported per dentist code, with each dental treatment having its own code. The external whitening of your teeth has a special code.

Root canal treatments are also covered by special codes. Therefore, in some cases, the reimbursement for teeth whitening can be found under the heading “Root canal treatments”. Yet that is the exception rather than the rule: you often have to pay the costs for teeth whitening (at the dentist) yourself.

Hint: If you want to find out whether teeth whitening is reimbursed by the health insurer, it is best to call. This is the quickest way to find out.

Teeth whitening & dental insurance

In some cases, if you have very good supplementary (dental) insurance, teeth whitening will be reimbursed. In many cases, approximately three-quarters (75%) of the costs are reimbursed. Other insurers use a kind of maximum amount of 250-1000 euros.

If you want facings, the costs can quickly add up. So you quickly pay a few hundred euros per tooth. The insurance for this is not comprehensive.

Calculation example: You want to take facings or veneers for your teeth and choose a facing that costs 200 euros per tooth. You want to do this in 20 teeth. That will cost you € 4,000. The insurer reimburses a maximum amount of € 750. So you have to pay € 3250 yourself.

Insurance for teeth whitening

Some people look at the end of the year to see if it is useful to adjust their health insurance. You have to make a kind of calculation: you will be reimbursed more than you have to pay for a premium. It is best to check how much the treatment costs before you whiten your teeth. In addition, it pays to ask yourself: Do I want to make these teeth whitening costs at the dentist? The insurance often does not reimburse this. Not even if you take out additional insurance.

Own risk and personal contribution for teeth whitening

ou do not pay a deductible for teeth whitening, because this is not covered by the basic insurance. In addition, you do not pay a statutory personal contribution for teeth whitening. Teeth whitening is a cosmetic treatment and the health insurer often does not reimburse teeth whitening, or only partially. If the treatment costs more than your health insurer reimburses, you will of course pay part of the costs yourself.

Additional insurance: teeth whitening reimbursed?

There are many overviews online about all reimbursements for teeth whitening from the supplementary health insurer. Read the fine print, though: teeth whitening is often not reimbursed. Pay attention to the amount of the premium, the maximum reimbursement, the reimbursement percentage and the other additional conditions.

Cheap teeth whitening

Of course you can also bleach your teeth yourself. Cosmetic products for home use are not reimbursed by health insurers. In addition, you must pay close attention to the safety of teeth whitening. It is important that the products are tested, comply with EU regulations and contain all safety certificates. In addition, it is important to read the reviews and ratings of the different products. This way you know whether the product works and you can find out whether the teeth whitening method is safe.

Finally, teeth whitening yourself is a lot cheaper and can be very effective. That is why this method of teeth whitening has the best price / quality ratio.

Frequently Asked Questions