When is supplementary dental insurance recommended?

What is supplementary dental insurance?

Supplementary dental insurance is an additional health insurance specifically for dental care. It covers a wide range of services – from simple check-ups to complex procedures such as braces or prostheses. Everyone can take out supplementary dental insurance. It offers financial support for necessary dental treatment that is often not or only partially covered by regular health insurance.

When is supplementary dental insurance recommended?

Supplementary dental insurance can be an ideal addition to the basic health insurance for both children and adults.

Supplementary dental insurance for children

It is particularly important for parents to think about supplementary dental insurance for their children early on. Routine check-ups, orthodontic procedures, and other specialised treatments can add up in costs pretty fast. Supplementary dental insurance helps to cover these costs and ensures the best possible dental care for children.

Supplementary dental insurance for adults

Adults, especially those with special needs such as implants, other dental prostheses or periodontal treatment, can also benefit considerably from supplementary dental insurance. Supplementary dental insurance is particularly useful if the patient has already undergone frequent treatment. If the patient already has a considerable amount of fillings, crowns and root canal-treated teeth, there is a high probability that further procedures will follow. When deciding on supplementary dental insurance, it's crucial to carefully do your research, weighing up the pros and cons.

Benefits of supplementary dental insurance

• Financial security
• Broad coverage of different treatments
• Better dental care
• Medical check-ups
• Customizable

Disadvantages of supplementary dental insurance

• Costs
• Waiting times
• Limited coverage
• Pre-existing conditions

A supplementary dental insurance should always be chosen by considering your individual needs and budget that offers both financial security and suitable benefits.

Costs of good supplementary dental insurance in Switzerland

The monthly premiums for supplementary dental insurance vary depending on age and needs.

For children:

Basic supplementary dental insurance for children can start from CHF 5 to CHF 20 per month. More comprehensive supplementary dental insurance, which also covers special treatments such as orthodontics, can cost between CHF 30 and CHF 50 per month depending on the extent of coverage.

For adults:

Basic supplementary dental insurance for adults, which covers simple dental procedures and check-ups, usually costs between CHF 20 and CHF 40 per month. More comprehensive supplementary dental insurance can range from CHF 40 to CHF 250 per month, depending on the extent of coverage.

These are guidelines and average values. Depending on the insurance provider, region and individual needs, these costs can vary greatly. It is important to compare the various offers and choose the policy that best suits your financial possibilities and needs.

bestsmile & KPT

For all customers with a supplementary insurance at KPT – one of the 10 largest Swiss health insurers – bestsmile offers an exclusive discount.

• CHF 600 off Aligners and Teens Aligners
• CHF 1,000 off Veneers

And this applies not only to supplementary dental insurance, but to any. Find out more about the benefits of supplementary insurance at KPT here.

If you have supplementary insurance specifically for dental treatment, KPT will also cover the costs of your treatment according to the benefit category.

What treatments are covered by supplementary dental insurance?

Supplementary dental insurance covers various services, including:

• professional teeth cleaning,
• fillings,
• crowns,
• bridges,
• braces
• implants and prostheses.

It is important to choose an insurance policy that covers your specific needs.

It is important to note that the exact amount the insurer covers may vary depending on the insurance provider and the policy selected. It is therefore recommended to check the insurance conditions carefully and contact the respective insurance companies directly.

Which dental treatments are covered by compulsory health insurance?

Basic health insurance only covers the costs of dental treatment in the following situations:

• If it is necessary to treat a serious illness.
• If the treatment concerns a serious, unavoidable jaw infection.
• If dental problems have been caused by a serious illness.
• If dental braces are necessary due to serious health problems.

This is why your basic insurance only reimburses dental treatment in extreme cases.

When is the best time to take out supplementary dental insurance for children?

As a general rule, it is ideal to take out supplementary dental insurance for children between the ages of 3 and 5.

Here are some reasons why you should take out supplementary dental insurance at an early stage:

• Early prevention: can help prevent serious problems.
• Orthodontic treatment: particularly important for children and adolescents.
• Costs for professional tooth cleaning: costs for professional tooth cleaning are often covered by supplementary dental insurance. This means that you can benefit from valuable services without any additional financial burden.

When is it too late for supplementary dental insurance?

Although there is no set time when it is too late to take out supplementary dental insurance, there are a few factors to consider:

• Pre-existing conditions: if you already have significant dental issues, certain insurers might see them as pre-existing conditions and, as a result, not provide coverage.
• Waiting times: many health insurers have waiting periods before certain services can be used. In urgent cases, the waiting time may be too long to receive immediate assistance.
• Increasing costs: the cost of supplementary dental insurance can increase as you age. The older you get, the higher the monthly premiums.

It is therefore advisable to take out supplementary dental insurance at an early stage in order to benefit from comprehensive services at lower costs. Even as an adult, exploring insurance options makes sense to mitigate future costs for dental treatments.

What should I look out for when taking out supplementary dental insurance in Switzerland?

Choosing the right insurance policy can be a challenge. But carefully analysing your individual needs and the various providers can help you choose the right supplementary dental insurance. The following 4 aspects should be taken into consideration:

1. Analyse your individual needs
2. Include preventive check-ups
3. Compare the extent of coverage
4. Check waiting times

When does the supplementary dental insurance start covering the chosen services?

The moment in which the supplementary dental insurance starts to pay for the services depends on the contract and the health insurance you choose. Furthermore, this can also depend on various other factors.

Waiting period after concluding the contract

In most cases, it is necessary to wait for a certain period of time after the contract has been concluded before the insurance pays for treatment. As a general rule, for check-ups there are generally no waiting times or they are very short. For more complex interventions, there may be waiting times of several months due to clarifications.

Immediate coverage

In many cases, supplementary dental insurances offer immediate cover in the case of an accident. This means that if an insured family member suffers dental injuries as a result of an accident, the insurance will pay for the necessary treatment immediately, regardless of any waiting periods for other services.

Employer's accident insurance

If you are employed and work more than 8 hours per week, dental accidents are covered by the employer's accident insurance. This means that if you are employed and work more than 8 hours per week, accidents outside of your working hours are also covered. However, as the name suggests, accident insurance only covers accidents, i.e. unexpected damage caused by external factors.

Pre-existing dental problems

Pre-existing dental problems that existed before the insurance was taken out could be considered as pre-existing conditions by the health insurer. In such cases, specific treatments for these conditions may be excluded or require waiting times.

It is crucial to read and understand the insurance conditions carefully, especially with regard to waiting periods. For more detailed information, it is best to contact your insurance company directly.

Supplementary dental insurance or general supplementary insurance?

It can be beneficial to combine supplementary dental insurance with general supplementary insurance. If both supplementary insurances, the one specifically for teeth and the general one, cover 50% of the costs, you may have full cost coverage if you take out both.