Dental insurance for children: why taking it out early pays off

Dental costs: what basic insurance pays, and what it does not

Compulsory basic insurance (OKP) only covers dental treatment in exceptional cases: after accidents, for severe, unavoidable diseases of the masticatory system or for severe general illnesses (Art. 31 KVG). Everything that comes up in everyday life, such as check-ups, fillings and especially braces, families pay themselves. Orthodontic treatment in particular often lasts for years and is correspondingly expensive. If you want to cover these costs, you need supplementary dental insurance under the VVG, a voluntary insurance subject to private law.

Why timing determines your cover

Unlike basic insurance, supplementary insurance has no obligation to accept: the insurer may ask health questions, add reservations or reject the application. With dental insurance, the assessment is often particularly thorough, and a dental status report or a dental certificate is frequently required.

The consequence: once the dentist or orthodontist has found a misalignment, it is usually too late to take out insurance. The foreseeable treatment is excluded or the application is rejected. In addition, many dental products have waiting periods: benefits are only paid after a certain period of insurance. Both are clear reasons to take out the insurance before a need becomes apparent.

The ideal time: before the birth or in the first years of life

Expectant parents have the strongest lever: if the child is registered before birth, insurers accept it without a health assessment, an advantage that cannot be made up later. This applies to dental supplements as well as to hospital and outpatient supplementary insurance.

If the child has already been born, the rule is: the earlier, the better. In the first years of life, the teeth are usually unremarkable and the health assessment correspondingly uncritical, and any waiting periods will have long expired by the time the question of braces arises at school age.

How supplementary dental insurance works

Dental supplements usually pay a percentage of the treatment costs up to an annual maximum; the amount and scope vary greatly depending on the product. The general terms and conditions (AVB) are always decisive, and they also set out any waiting periods. Many products also have minimum terms (often three years, sometimes one year), usually with three months' notice. The legal framework is set by revVVG Art. 35a: every supplementary health insurance can be cancelled at the end of the third insurance year at the latest, and annually thereafter (three months' notice, text form).

When comparing, look at the benefits first and then at the premium: what matters is the coverage rate, the annual maximum and whether orthodontics is included. That is why easyall compares dental supplements by benefits, and easy, our AI guide, can look up waiting periods and conditions directly in the AVB of the product in question.

Deadlines and season: what applies for 2026/2027

Taking out a new policy is possible at any time in principle; the insurer decides on acceptance and the start date after the health assessment. The 2027 basic insurance premiums have been published since 29 September 2026, and the switching season for a start on 1 January 2027 is now under way.

If you want to replace existing dental insurance, follow the golden rule: only cancel the old supplementary insurance once you have the new insurer's written confirmation of acceptance. At most insurers, the cancellation must arrive by 30 September for the contract to end on 31 December, so ideally submit the new application by mid-August. You compare benefits and premiums in the calculator.

Checklist for parents

This is how to proceed step by step:

• Before the birth: register your child for supplementary insurance before birth, for acceptance without a health assessment.
• After the birth: register for basic insurance within 3 months (applies retroactively from birth); look into a dental supplement as early as possible.
• Before applying: answer the health questions truthfully, as incorrect information can put the contract at risk.
• When comparing products: check the coverage rate, annual maximum, inclusion of orthodontics and waiting periods in the AVB.
• When switching: only cancel once you have the written confirmation of acceptance; the cancellation usually has to arrive by 30 September for the contract to end on 31 December.
• Keep an eye on the minimum term: every supplementary health insurance can be cancelled at the end of the third insurance year at the latest (revVVG Art. 35a).