Dental insurance before year end

Updated:
05.10.2026

Autumn is not just mushroom season. In Germany it is also “dental season”.

Towards the end of the year social media traditionally shows more ads for Zahnzusatzversicherung. There is a practical reason for this: with many tariffs the limits in the first years are counted per calendar year, and from 2027 the statutory health fund will pay less towards dentures. I look at what is true in the ads and what usually goes unsaid.

The “short first year”: how it works

Almost all tariffs have a Zahnstaffel in the first years — a benefit limit that rises year by year. With some tariffs these years follow the calendar: the first insurance year ends on 31 December, no matter when the contract started.

If you take out such a contract in 2026, your first insurance year already ends on 31 December. The second year starts in January — and the amount available for treatment goes up.

Example based on the terms as of October 2026: in the Allianz MeinZahnschutz 100 tariff the limit for the first calendar year is 1000 €, for the first two years together 2500 €, for three years 4000 €, and from the fourth year there is no limit. The limits are cumulative: whatever is paid out in the first year is deducted from the two-year amount.

Important: this only works where the Zahnstaffel is tied to the calendar year. With other tariffs the limits are counted in months from the start of the contract — the first 12, 24, 36 months — and there is no “short first year”. That is the first thing to check in the terms.

You can estimate tariff costs with our dental tariff calculator.

What the ads usually leave out

Insurers have different application deadlines: many accept applications until 31 December, some, in my experience, close earlier — on 1 or 15 December. Contracts often start on the 1st of the following month, so it is better to apply in November
Treatment that was already prescribed, recommended or started before the contract is concluded is usually not covered. This is a basic rule of almost all tariffs, whatever the ads promise
With good tariffs the amount limits end after 3–4 years. Contracts with a Zahnstaffel of 5 years or more are best avoided
Cover of up to 100 % exists in many product lines, usually in the top tariff. The percentage often includes the health fund's share
Look separately at the GOZ-Faktor: some tariffs cap reimbursement at a factor of 3,5, others go higher

There are exceptions for treatment already under way. Some tariffs with so-called Sofortschutz cover dentures that have already been prescribed, but on special terms and with their own limits. This is a niche solution rather than the rule.

Many tariffs also have a Wartezeit — a waiting period after the contract starts. By law it may not exceed eight months for dental treatment, dentures and orthodontics (§ 197 VVG), and many tariffs have none at all.

GOZ-Faktor: why it affects what you pay yourself

Dentists invoice private treatment under the Gebührenordnung für Zahnärzte (GOZ). Each service is rated with a factor between 1,0 and 3,5 (§ 5 GOZ). A factor of 2,3 reflects treatment of average difficulty; anything above that must be justified in writing on the invoice.

Above 3,5 a dentist may only charge under a written agreement concluded before treatment begins (§ 2 GOZ). With complex treatment — implants, dentures — such agreements are not unusual.

Hence the difference between tariffs: some only reimburse up to a factor of 3,5, others pay more — for example up to 5,0. With complex treatment this can noticeably change how much you pay out of pocket.

From 2027 the health fund pays less towards dentures

From 1 January 2027 GKV pays less towards dentures. The basic Festzuschuss falls from 60 % to 50 % of the cost of standard treatment as defined by the health fund (Regelversorgung). With a Bonusheft it falls from 70 % to 60 % after five years of regular check-ups and from 75 % to 65 % after ten years.

This is not a draft: the amendment to § 55 SGB V was passed as part of the GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz and published in the Bundesgesetzblatt on 29 July 2026.

So patients' own share will rise. These are exactly the costs — for crowns, bridges, implants and dentures — that dental insurance can take on.

A practical point: what counts is the date the health fund approved the treatment plan (Heil- und Kostenplan). Everything approved by 31 December 2026 is paid at the old rates. If you need dentures anyway, it makes sense to agree the plan with your dentist and submit it to the fund early.

For people on low incomes (Härtefall) the health fund will still cover standard treatment in full after 2027.

What the health fund pays towards dentures

Festzuschuss — share of standard treatment (Regelversorgung)

Approved by the fund by 31.12.2026

Without a Bonusheft60 %

Bonusheft, 5 years70 %

Bonusheft (dental bonus booklet), 10 years75 %

Approved from 01.01.2027

Without a Bonusheft50 %

Bonusheft, 5 years60 %

Bonusheft (dental bonus booklet), 10 years65 %

§ 55 SGB V · GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz, BGBl. 2026 I Nr. 228

Bottom line: is it worth signing up before the year ends?

The “short first year” really works. But the overall benefit depends on the insurer and the details of the tariff: limits, GOZ-Faktor, implant cover and other terms.

At today's prices dental insurance is no longer a luxury. Especially when a single implant or a few crowns can cost thousands of euros.

The best current options for different situations are collected on our comparison portal gut-zahn.de.

No time to sort it out yourself? We will help you choose: send the word “Улыбка” to our Telegram bot @Finberdebot.

If you like, I will go through some popular tariffs one by one and show where the real differences are and where it is just nice advertising. Tell us in the comments which tariffs interest you.

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Frequently asked questions

Is it worth taking out dental insurance before 31 December?

If the tariff's Zahnstaffel is counted per calendar year — yes: the first year ends on 31 December, and the second, with a higher limit, starts in January. If the limits are counted in months from the start of the contract, the signing date does not affect the amount. Bear in mind that many insurers start contracts on the 1st of the following month.

Will the insurance pay for treatment the dentist has already prescribed?

Usually not: treatment recommended, planned or started before the contract is concluded is not covered. The exception is a few tariffs with Sofortschutz for dentures already prescribed, with special terms and limits.

How much will the Festzuschuss fall from 2027?

The basic rate falls from 60 % to 50 % of standard treatment, with a Bonusheft from 70 % to 60 % and from 75 % to 65 %. Treatment plans approved by the health fund by 31 December 2026 are paid at the old rates.

What does GOZ-Faktor 3,5 mean?

It is the upper limit of a regular dental invoice under § 5 GOZ. Above 3,5 a dentist may only charge under a written agreement made before treatment. If your tariff only pays up to 3,5, you pay the difference yourself.

Is there a waiting period with dental insurance?

Many tariffs have a Wartezeit, by law no longer than eight months (§ 197 VVG). There are also tariffs without a waiting period — but the limits of the first years (Zahnstaffel) still apply.