The national healthcare system in France is applauded the world over for its efficiency, and that includes dental care. While the cost of dental care in France is not as low as in some other countries, it is still reasonable compared to the United States.
Average costs of dental care in France are as follows:
- Dental examination: 30-100 EUR
- Professional cleaning: 50-100 EUR
- Tooth filling: 450 EUR
- Root canal: 70 EUR
- Dental crown: 300-800 EUR
- Implants: 850 EUR
However, one important thing to remember is that the national healthcare system in France does not usually cover dental care entirely, so you will likely have to pay out of pocket for any necessary treatments.
That said, the French public health care system reimburses 70% of the cost you incur for your dental care. The complexity of the dental procedure you need influences how much you’ll end up paying. It’s advisable to have a voluntary policy to help you cover the dental costs in the event the problem occurs when you’re flat broke.
How much does dental care cost in France?
How much you part in dental care costs in France is influenced by the complexity of the procedure and your age. Children’s dental care is less costly than adults pay for similar treatments.
The dentist you visit also determines the fees you’ll pay as there are different categories, and their charges vary, as seen below:
- Secteur 1 – Dentists under this category agree with the pact between the professionals and the country’s social security system, including the charges they met to the patients.
- Secteur 2 – Practitioners under this adhere to the agreement except for the rates they charge. Dentists under this category set out their rates.
Moreover, there are several different dental treatments you can choose from. For each of them, dentists charge different rates.
- Conservative dental care includes scaling, treatment of cavities, devitalization, etc.
- Fitting of a dental prosthesis: crown, bridge, implant, etc.
- Consultations: this includes consultations and checkups. Fortunately, 70% of the consultation is reimbursed by the state.
There are other dental services where the government reimburses 70% of the cost the dentists charge you. The state health system has set out the minimal rates chargeable for routine procedures as below:
- Cavities: 20 EUR to 30 EUR
- Removing wisdom tooth: 20 EUR
- Adult tooth extraction: 35 EUR
- Scale: 30 EUR
These are the state-set charges that you’re charged on top of the consultation fee. For these treatments, you pay only 30% of the mentioned rate. Also, the charges aren’t cast in stone and will differ for different practitioners.
For more complex procedures, the rates are higher. Dental prosthetics costs vary from one dentist to the other. That notwithstanding, the social security system of the country settles a specific amount of these fees to a certain level, as seen below:
- Dental crown: 100 – 190 EUR
- Inlay: 122 EUR
- Braces: 64 EUR
- Three-piece bridge: 280 EUR
- Full-denture covering 14 teeth: 500 EUR
- Denture of up to three teeth: 195 EUR
- Ceramic crown: 120 EUR
The state will reimburse 70% of the cost of these treatments.
Yet, for every dental concern, you’ll need a consultation with a dentist that you have to settle first before you’re charged the professional fee for any procedure.
On average, the consultation fee for dental services ranges between 30 and 60 EUR.
After consultation, the dentist gives you a detailed written worksheet detailing the necessary dental procedure. The written estimate includes
- The relevant procedure suitable for your dental problem, including all materials necessary
- The total amount of the whole treatment procedure
- The amount you expect to be reimbursed by the national health insurance system
At this point, if you’re insured under a private policy, you should get in touch with them and send them the chargeable costs and agree on how much of the procedure they’ll settle. This will give you clarity on the amount you’ll pay out-of-pocket.
Dental prices in France
Dental prices in France vary from one dentist to the next. Below is a breakdown of the average costs of common dental procedures:
| Procedure | Average cost (EUR) |
|---|---|
| Dental examination | 46 – 50 |
| Teeth cleaning | 50-100 |
| Tooth filling | 40-100 |
| Tooth implant | 850-2,000 |
| Root canal | 30-100 |
| Crowning ceramic | 450 |
| Silver crowning | 250 |
| Wisdom tooth extraction | 35 |
| Dental bridge | 150-280 |
The costs exclude consultation fee that varies for different facilities and dentists.
Children in France are entitled to a free dental routine checkup once they reach six to eighteen years old. However, the checkup is only allowed after every three years. Although most dental care issues for children within the age bracket are free, some, such as braces, aren’t free.
Enquire from the dentist first whether the procedure is covered under the country’s healthcare system to avoid being served with a bill later that gets you off guard.
Most dentists in the country work under the public health system, so you can expect to be reimbursed 70% of all your costs.
Complex dental procedures are, however, not covered under the national insurance fund. Such procedures include prostheses and orthodontic work, whose costs are high. You’ll require to have a private insurer covering these.
Filing costs, for instance, are influenced by the material used in filling. Some of the materials used in the exercise include:
- Silver amalgam
- Ceramic
- Composite resin
- Gold
Each of these varies in cost, as seen below:
| Filling material | Average cost (EUR) |
|---|---|
| Silver Amalgam | 50-170 |
| Ceramic | 400-1,000 |
| Composite resin | 100-300 |
| Gold | 400-4,000 |
The filling you have is determined by your preferences and the choice you can afford. It’s also important to consult your dentist on the most suitable filling that will match your teeth.
The gold filling can range from a few hundred Euros to thousands depending on the complexity and the number of teeth to be filled.
Does France have free dental care?
Like most European states, France operates a Universal Health Care System funded through co-payments. The state and patients make contributions to the scheme. The UHC system in France includes dental care.
Dental care, too, isn’t free in France. As an adult, once you visit a dentist, expect the system to reimburse you 70% of the cost you incurred while you settle the remaining 30%.
The public health system in the country is all-inclusive, with players from the government, employees, and employers. It’s a requirement when residing in France to take up a health care policy where the amount liable is deducted from the salaries and remitted by the employers to the authorities.
When visiting the dentist, you need to have enough money to cover the services and later claim a 70% reimbursement.
If you have taken up a private policy from a different insurance provider, it comes in handy in settling your share of the cost (30%). For expats in France, we recommend Cigna Global.
For instance, assuming you intend to have the gold filling on your teeth or dentures, which are costly, the policy will help you settle a large portion of the bill.
The public health care system covers routine dental care for children between six and eighteen. The children go for the evaluation every three years, meaning at the ages of 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18.
If the child develops more complex dental issues, the guardian may have to part with the charges; however, the amount is reimbursed from the system.
Once the child hits the recommended age, you’ll receive an invitation from Assurance Maladie informing you of the need to get your child to the dentist. Ensure you have the invitation when you visit the dentist, as it proves you qualify for the free service.
Before the children hit sixteen years, the need for orthodontic treatment is evaluated. Once established, the cost incurred as orthodontist charges are reimbursed as long as you acquire prior approval for the treatment.
As an adult, if you opt to take up the optional insurance cover for dentistry, ensure you agree to the services covered under the policy. Some private insurers will cover partly or fail to cover certain dentist services such as root planning and surgical implantation.
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