Cost of Dental Procedures in the Netherlands
Dental care in the Netherlands is among the most expensive in Europe and can put a serious dent in your finances if you’re not prepared. As such, it’s important to know how much you can expect to pay for dental procedures before you get started.
The average costs of dental procedures in the Netherlands are as follows:
- Routine checkup: 24 EUR
- Dental cleaning for every five minutes: 14 EUR
- Minor X-ray: 17 EUR
- Root canal: between 50 EUR and 700 EUR
- Dental crown: 250 – 600 EUR
- Teeth implant: 1,600 EUR
The cost of dental care in the Netherlands can vary depending on the procedure you need and the dentist you visit. However, there are some general guidelines you can follow to get an idea of how much you’ll need to budget for dental care.
It’s a requirement for every Dutch president to have valid health insurance. If you don’t have one, you might attract a hefty fine for the period you weren’t insured. The policies include basic dental procedures such as cleaning and routine checkups.
However, they exclude the majority of dental treatments people go through. This article explores the cost of some dental procedures that are also not covered by basic insurance in the Netherlands.
How much does it cost to visit a dentist in the Netherlands?
The Dutch rank highly as one of the Europeans with the healthiest and most shiny teeth. Every resident in the Netherlands has access to free health and dental care. Yet, the spectrum of free treatments is pretty much limited.
Fortunately, Dutch dentists charge around the same rates, so you can be prepared.
The cost you incur when visiting a dentist in the country depends on the complexity of the procedure. Basic insurance doesn’t cover most dental costs for adults. The exception is certain surgical procedures, such as wisdom teeth extraction.
Since the Dutch Universal Healthcare System covers only basic dental procedures, you need to take up private dental insurance to cover the treatments if you need complex processes. Alternatively, you can pay out-of-pocket.
On average, the cost to visit a dentist in the Netherlands is as follows:
| Procedure | Average price |
|---|---|
| Routine inspection | 20-25 EUR |
| Minor X-ray | 30-50 EUR |
| Teeth cleaning (for every 5 minutes) | 14 EUR |
| Dental filling | 25-90 EUR |
| Tooth crowning | 250-600 EUR |
| Tooth implant | 1,600 EUR |
| Root canal | 50 to 700 EUR |
| Wisdom tooth extraction | 100 – 200 EUR |
| Dental bridge | 1,000 – 2,750 EUR |
The cost charged on your first visit to the dentist is influenced by the complexity of the procedure that the dentist deems necessary.
On your first visit, a thorough oral inspection is carried out to evaluate any pertinent dental issues that need the dentist’s attention. On average, your initial costs could fall between 50 and 300 EUR.
The cost includes consultation, X-ray, and the cost of coming up with a treatment schedule if severe dental issues are detected.
If the dentist establishes you need to schedule a treatment plan that’ll take several visits, he is obliged to give you estimates of the entire program. The dentist will use the UPT codes the government sets annually to provide you with an estimate.
Going for routine check-ups every six months will cost you 20 EUR on average, which is an excellent step to ensuring your oral health is in check.
The Dutch government adopts a prevention approach to dental care. This is why consultations and cleaning are charged lowly compared to complex procedures.
Dental prices in the Netherlands
The Netherlands’ healthcare system has consistently featured among the top three countries with the region’s best and most functional plan.
If you work and reside in the Netherlands, taking up a healthcare policy is mandatory. The government manages the country’s healthcare system with private insurance companies’ input.
Dental prices are set by a function of the government (NZa), and dentists across the country are expected to adhere to the UPT codes as they are referred to in dentistry circles.
Below is a breakdown of the common dental prices in the Netherlands:
| Dental care procedure | Average costs (EUR) |
|---|---|
| Examination and diagnosis | 23-110 |
| Minor X-ray | 15-20 |
| Panoramic X-ray | 50-75 |
| Multidimensional jaw X-ray | 200 |
| Amalgam filling 1-4 teeth | 30-100 |
| Root canal | 100-250 |
Dentists in the Netherlands must inform you in advance if the costs of the procedure will exceed 250 EUR. This aims to allow you to plan how you’ll settle the bills.
For more detailed procedures, the costs are higher, and you might consider taking up a dental insurance policy.
Crowns, inlays, and bridges are among the dental procedures that exceed the 250 EUR mark, depending on the complexity. For instance, the crowning cost will be determined by the number of teeth being crowned and the materials used in the process.
Here’s an outlook of the different charges for some dental procedures:
Fillings
The price of the dental filling depends on the material of the filling:
- Single-surface amalgam: 25.92 EUR
- Multi-surface amalgam: 75.30 EUR
- Single-surface glass ionomer/glass carbomer/compomer: 38.27 EUR
- Multi-surface glass ionomer/glass carbomer/compomer: 87.65 EUR
- Single-surface composite: 49.38 EUR
Root canal treatment
- Root canal treatment consultation: 43.21 EUR
- Initial root canal treatment, first canal: 61.72 EUR
- Root canal treatment per element with 1 canal: 111.10 EUR
- Root canal treatment per element with 2 channels: 160.48 EUR
There are several surcharges depending on the difficulty of the root canal treatment. It might drive the final price to up to 300 EUR.
Inlays
Average costs for inlays are:
- One surface composite inlay: 75 EUR
- Two surfaces composite inlay: 140 EUR
- Three surfaces composite inlay: 180 EUR
- One to three surface inlay: 100-250 EUR
- Cast pin: 30 EUR for each pin
Crowns
Here are the average costs of crowns in the Netherlands:
- Basic crown: 270 EUR
- Crown on an implant: 250 EUR
- Stainless steel crown: 100 EUR
To have crowns appropriately fixed requires core material which increases the overall cost. If you go with the cast core fitted directly, beware that you’ll part with an extra 120 EUR.
Bridges
Bridges costs in the country average at:
- Initial pontic: 190 EUR
- Five or more teeth: 150-200 EUR
- Resin-bonded partial denture including preparation: 100-200 EUR
- Ceramic layer including prep: 100-120 EUR
- Total: 900 – 3,000 EUR
These costs could rise to cater for the dental impression that goes with the bridges. For instance, the metal cap or the metal fixation cap goes for an average cost of 35 EUR.
Extraction
The extraction cost is determined by the teeth you wish to have removed and any complexity involved. For instance, extracting premolars is cheaper than molars and wisdom teeth.
On average, the extraction costs are as follows:
- One molar: 50 – 100 EUR
- Complex extraction, where you first need preparation or X-ray: 90 – 200 EUR
During the extraction procedure, the total cost could shoot, depending on the materials the dentists will require for the procedure. For instance, the process could require suture material that goes for 7 EUR, while room preparation could cost around 60 EUR.
Basic mandatory healthcare covers essential dental treatments. If you have taken special dental insurance, you need to verify the percentage the policy covers for each procedure.
If you take up 100% cover, you won’t be required to pay any amount out-of-pocket. But you’ll need to settle the balance if you’ve taken up partial coverage. For instance, if your policy covers 80%, you’ll need to pay the remainder of 20%.
It’s worth noting that in the Netherlands, the government sets an annual deductible amount that you have to settle before your insurance company begins to remit your healthcare bills for medical services delivered to you. In 2022, the amount is set at 385 EUR.
The deductible amount applies to adults above 18 years, and the government reviews the mandatory figure annually. This amount is paid in excess of your payable premiums.
Fortunately, you can pay the deductible in installments as you agree with your provider.
When is dental care free in the Netherlands?
Dental care in the Netherlands isn’t covered by general health insurance. Yet, some private insurance companies might include it in the cover.
Usually, you either pay out of pocket or take additional insurance; see coverages here. However, in some cases, dental work can be free of charge.
For example, dental care is free in the Netherlands for children below 18 years. The Dutch basic health insurance covers dental care costs for all children of that age.
If the children require special elaborate dental procedures, you’ll need to include them in your dental insurance coverage as these aren’t included in the basic insurance plan. For example, it doesn’t cover expenses for orthodontics, crowns, inlays, bridges, teeth whitening, and implants.
If you need braces, consult the dentist in advance to get the estimates of the procedure, which you’ll pass to the insurance company for inclusion. Mostly there aren’t extra charges to the premium you pay for including the children in the policy.
When you take up a supplemental policy for your child’s dental care, you aren’t obliged to pay the mandatory deductible amount if they’re below 18 years.
For expats living in the Netherlands, we recommend private health insurance from Cigna Global.
