Supplementary dental insurance Invisalign: Are aligner costs covered?

Supplementary dental insurance Invisalign: Are the costs for aligner therapy covered and what should be considered when choosing a tariff?

In the meantime, aligners are literally on everyone’s lips. No wonder, because they are a discreet, painless and cost-effective alternative to fixed braces.

Adults in particular simply cannot imagine unsightly wires and brackets in their mouths in their everyday and professional lives and therefore prefer to have their teeth straightened with invisible braces.

But although you can usually get them much cheaper than fixed braces, aligners are of course no bargain either.

This is especially true for Invisalign dental trays, which tend to be in the high-priced segment of the aligner market.

They are made of high quality materials and must be made individually. In addition, there is a great deal of organizational effort involved in the treatment, as well as regular visits to the dentist or orthodontist.

Supplementary dental insurance seems to be a straightforward solution here. This is because many providers advertise that they will cover the cost of corrective dentistry for adults as well.

Unfortunately, it is not quite that simple in most cases. Therefore, in this article we answer the question: “Supplementary dental insurance Invisalign – will the cost of aligners be covered?”

You can find more information about Invisalign this article.

How much do Invisalign invisible aligners actually cost?

The cost of straightening teeth with Invisalign is based on the following factors:

• the severity of the malocclusion
• the duration of treatment and the associated number of splints required
• the type of correction desired
• the individual fee of the dentist or orthodontist

You will find out the final price for your treatment as soon as a treatment plan has been drawn up during your initial appointment.

These are the approximate costs you should expect:

Here you can find more detailed information about Invisalign costs.

Saving tip: You only need an esthetic correction of the front teeth or have only a slight to moderate malocclusion?

Then we recommend the cheaper provider DrSmile. Here you can find out whether your malocclusion is suitable for aligner therapy.

What do the health insurance companies pay?

In the case of serious malocclusions, health insurance companies usually cover the cost of braces for children and adolescents.

In contrast to minors, malocclusions and jaw misalignments in adults must involve serious health restrictions in order for health insurance companies to contribute to the costs of dental correction or even cover them entirely.

These include congenital malformation of the face and jaw or skeletal dysgnathia. In addition, health insurance companies will cover the costs if the jaw malposition is the result of an accident.

However, even in these cases, only the minimum care is covered as part of the standard benefits. This means that treatment with invisible aligners is basically ruled out.

Supplementary dental insurance: What is it and what does it cover?

Since health insurance companies do not cover the costs in most cases, many patients hope for support from their private supplementary dental insurance.

Supplementary dental insurance is income-independent and is designed to protect patients against high private co-payments to the dentist or orthodontist.

The risk areas covered vary from provider to provider and, in turn, from tariff to tariff.

As a rule, however, the costs of dental treatments such as prophylaxis (e.g. dental cleanings), orthodontics (e.g. braces) or dentures (e.g. veneers, dentures or crowns) are covered.

Again, however, the question arises, “Supplemental dental insurance Invisalign – will the cost of aligners be covered?”

Supplementary dental insurance Invisalign: Are the costs covered?

Some supplementary dental insurance plans cover all or part of the cost of invisible aligners. A prerequisite for this, however, is that the contract was concluded in good time.

In order to prevent their customers from taking out supplementary dental insurance exclusively for a specific service (e.g. tooth correction with aligners), most insurers set blackout periods.

These are usually about six months from the start of the contract – during this period no costs are covered.

Other companies, in turn, stagger the maximum amounts of their benefits in the first few years after taking out the insurance.

It is therefore important to know: Supplementary dental insurance should always be taken out in good time before starting aligner therapy.

This is because insurance companies can inspect medical records. In addition, health questions must always be answered correctly.

In addition, there must be a medical necessity for the tooth correction. Treatments for purely cosmetic reasons (e.g. dissatisfaction with the appearance of crooked teeth), on the other hand, are not covered.

The question: “Supplementary dental insurance Invisalign – are the costs for aligners covered?” can therefore not be answered in a general way.

Supplementary dental insurance Invisalign for children and teenagers

Parents can also take out supplementary dental insurance for children and adolescents with rates that cover orthodontic treatment.

With more than half of children and teens now wearing braces, it can be well worth it.

Here it is also very important not to miss the right time to sign the contract. The policy should always be in place before the child or adolescent’s malocclusion is diagnosed by the dentist or orthodontist.

It is true that health insurance companies also usually pay for dental corrections for minors if there is a medical indication.

As already mentioned, however, only the minimum care is covered within the framework of the standard benefits.

Accordingly, only simple braces are paid for. Additional costs for innovative diagnostics, shorter wearing times or comfort and esthetics (e.g. aligners instead of fixed braces), on the other hand, are billed as private services and must be borne by the patient.

Older children and adolescents now also want to have their teeth corrected discreetly. Treatment with Invisalign Teen is possible, for example, before the eruption of all permanent teeth and from the age of 11.

Supplementary dental insurance Invisalign: Which tariff is the right one?

Countless insurance companies now offer supplementary dental insurance. In addition, each of them also offers different rates at different prices.

Providers who neither ask health questions nor have lock-up periods sound tempting at first. However, these tariffs are very expensive and often also offer a relatively low scope of services.

Basically, it is important to weigh up whether, for example, you are better off with a relatively expensive tariff with 100 percent cost coverage or with a more favorable tariff where only a partial amount between 50 and 70 percent is covered.

Basically, however, the following applies: We do not only recommend supplementary dental insurance if you are planning to have your teeth corrected.

In fact, services such as implants, veneers, full dentures, root canal treatments with crowning or general anesthesia almost always have to be paid for by the patient – the co-payment is often in the four-digit range.

It is therefore worthwhile to take out favorable insurance cover in good time before dental treatment can become really expensive in an emergency.

By the way, the sooner you do this, the cheaper the premiums will be. As people age, they become more expensive as the risk to insurance companies increases.

DrSmile: The cheaper alternative

Do you only need an esthetic correction of the front teeth or do you only have a slight to moderate malocclusion?

Then we recommend the cheaper provider DrSmile. This is because the company offers very good value for money and communicates its prices transparently.

Only high-quality materials and state-of-the-art technologies are used in the production “made in Germany & USA”.

Through the app, the course of treatment is regularly monitored and kept in view by dentists and orthodontists. Last but not least, DrSmile offers a satisfaction promise.

In this article, we compare the two providers in more detail: DrSmile vs. Invisalign.

Here you can find out whether your malocclusion is suitable for aligner therapy.

FAQs on the subject of Invisalign supplementary dental insurance

At this point we will answer some frequently asked questions about Invisalign supplementary dental insurance.

You can find more articles and information about Invisalign here.