Dental Insurance: Key Points for Good Coverage

Like more and more adults, you may be considering orthodontic treatment and wondering about the reimbursement options for your future dental appliance.

While some health insurance funds cover part of healthcare costs, they often do not cover orthodontic care, or only reimburse it partially.

Taking out supplementary dental insurance can therefore be a good solution to reduce the cost of orthodontic treatment and make it more accessible.

Supplementary dental insurance can be taken out separately or included as part of a health insurance plan. It can be useful for people who need costly dental care or who have recurring dental problems and want extra coverage for dental care costs.

These costs can include dental care such as basic care, scaling, fillings, advanced dental care such as implants and crowns, as well as orthodontic treatment with a dental appliance.

What should you pay attention to in order to get the best reimbursement?

There are several factors to consider when taking out supplementary dental insurance with your health insurance fund:

1. The benefits offered, it is important to check which benefits are covered by the insurance (orthodontist consultations, orthodontic appliance, prosthetics, etc.) and within what limits.
2. The waiting period, this refers to the period during which the insurance does not cover healthcare costs not included in the basic coverage. It is often applied to new insurance contracts and can vary depending on the benefits covered.
3. Reimbursement caps, most dental insurance contracts specify annual reimbursement caps or caps over the duration of the contract. It is important to check these limits to see if they match your needs.
4. The price, finally, the cost of dental insurance is a factor to consider, but it should not be the only decision criterion. It is important to find a good balance between benefits and cost based on your needs and budget.

How do you go about it in practice?

Start by visiting your health insurance fund’s website to find out the exact terms of the dental insurance offered. If the terms are not clear enough, it is best to make an appointment with your health insurance fund. The advisor will explain the insurance to you and answer your questions.

Here are a few links to the supplementary dental insurance plans of the best-known health insurance funds in Belgium:

Not all dental insurance plans are equal

We therefore recommend carefully checking the coverage offered by your health insurance fund’s supplementary dental insurance before subscribing, in order to know the limits within which orthodontic treatment is covered.