Dentist Costs Netherlands: What Basic Health Insurance Covers in 2026

Prices, fees and rules in this article were checked on 28 October 2026. They can change, so check the linked pages before you decide.

In the Netherlands, the basic health insurance (basisverzekering) covers most dental care for children under 18, but very little for adults. According to the Rijksoverheid, from age 18 the basic package covers surgical dental care, X-rays and removable dentures, but not the periodic check-up. Adults therefore usually pay for check-ups, fillings and cleaning themselves, unless they take out a supplementary dental insurance. Dentists’ prices are capped by maximum tariffs set by the NZa (Nederlandse Zorgautoriteit), which says a visit to the dentist in 2026 is on average 1.12% cheaper than in 2025. This guide explains what is and is not covered, the own contributions, and how to decide on extra cover.

1. Dentist costs at a glance

Sources: Rijksoverheid, Zorginstituut Nederland, checked 28 October 2026. “Covered” means covered by the basic package; your insurer’s policy determines which providers you can use.

2. Children under 18: what basic insurance covers

Zorginstituut Nederland, which advises on the contents of the basic package, says dental care for children under 18 is largely covered. It lists these treatments:

• an annual check-up, or more if the dentist or dental hygienist considers it necessary;
• removing tartar, twice a year;
• fluoride treatment from the moment adult teeth come through;
• sealing of the chewing surfaces of molars;
• treatment of the bone tissue that supports teeth;
• anaesthesia, root canal treatment and fillings;
• treatment of jaw joint complaints;
• partial dentures (frame and plate dentures);
• crowns, bridges and implants only for front teeth that never developed or were completely lost in an accident;
• surgical dental care, except implants, and X-rays, except at the orthodontist.

Parents pay no own contribution and no eigen risico for their child’s dental care. The Rijksoverheid summarises it: check-ups and cavities for children do not have to be paid for yourself. It also notes that braces, crowns, bridges and implants for young people are generally not covered, apart from the exceptions above.

3. Adults from 18: what basic insurance covers

From the age of 18, dental care is mostly no longer covered by the basic package. Zorginstituut Nederland lists the treatments that can still be covered:

• some special dental care (see section 5);
• X-rays for surgical dental care, by or at the request of a jaw surgeon;
• dentures for the upper and lower jaw;
• surgical dental care that can only be performed by a jaw surgeon (kaakchirurg);
• orthodontics for serious developmental or growth disorders of the teeth, jaw or mouth.

Zorginstituut Nederland adds that if a jaw surgeon performs a treatment your dentist could also have done, such as gum treatment or pulling a tooth, it is not covered. Everything else, including the regular check-up, cleaning and fillings, you pay yourself or through supplementary insurance.

For how basic insurance works in general, see our guide to insurance in the Netherlands and our health insurance 2027 guide.

4. Own contributions and the eigen risico

If you are 18 or older and receive dental care that is covered, two types of cost can apply:

• Own contribution (eigen bijdrage). According to Zorginstituut Nederland, you pay 25% of the cost of a removable full denture at the dentist or denturist. For a removable full denture on implants you pay 10% of the cost for the lower jaw and 8% for the upper jaw. For repairing or relining a full denture you pay 10%.
• Compulsory eigen risico. Covered dental care from 18 falls under the compulsory excess. The Rijksoverheid states that the compulsory eigen risico for 2026 is €385: you pay the first €385 of costs that fall under it yourself.

5. Special dental care and orthodontics

Special dental care (bijzondere tandheelkundige zorg) is covered by the basic package regardless of age, under conditions, if you have a serious condition that means you can hardly chew. Zorginstituut Nederland names these situations:

• your teeth, jaw or mouth develop or grow poorly, or you have a non-congenital abnormality, for example oligodontia (many teeth missing) or a cleft lip, jaw or palate;
• you have a physical or mental condition unrelated to dentistry, such as an intellectual disability or severe Parkinson’s, or extreme fear of the dentist, that causes a serious dental or jaw dysfunction;
• you need medical treatment whose result partly depends on dental care.

Braces and the orthodontist’s costs are not covered by the basic package, except when the treatment falls under special dental care. Orthodontics may be included in a supplementary policy; ask your insurer.

6. Who sets dentist prices: NZa maximum tariffs

The NZa sets maximum tariffs for dental care. It explains why this matters: patients from 18 usually pay these bills themselves, and insurers hardly make contract agreements with dentists and orthodontists. The tariffs are based on cost research among a representative group of practices.

For 2026, the NZa announced that tariffs for braces fall by 11.18% from 1 January 2026, and that a visit to the dentist is on average 1.12% cheaper than in 2025. A check-up, a filling or pulling a tooth became cheaper; implant treatments, for example for a click denture, became slightly more expensive. On 26 June 2026 the NZa rejected objections against the 2026 dentist tariffs, which therefore remain unchanged.

The NZa’s pages checked for this guide do not list individual treatment prices. The maximum tariffs per treatment are published by the NZa as “Maximumtarieven mondzorg 2026”; your dentist’s invoice shows the treatment codes.

7. Supplementary dental insurance: how to decide

The Rijksoverheid says you can take out a supplementary dental insurance (aanvullende tandartsverzekering) with your health insurer if you want more dental costs covered, and that which treatments and how much are covered differs per insurer. Its advice is to ask your own insurer exactly what you get reimbursed. Practical points to compare:

• the maximum reimbursement per year;
• which treatments are included (check-ups, fillings, root canals, crowns, orthodontics);
• the percentage reimbursed;
• the premium compared with what you expect to spend.

Our health insurance 2027 guide covers the period for switching policies. For finding a GP, see our huisarts guide; for urgent care outside office hours, see our guide to emergency numbers.

8. FAQ

Is the dentist free in the Netherlands?

For children under 18, most dental care is covered by basic insurance with no eigen risico and no own contribution. For adults, the basic package covers only a few treatments; check-ups and fillings are usually paid yourself or through supplementary insurance.

Does basic insurance cover a dental check-up for adults?

No. The Rijksoverheid states that for people over 18 the periodic check-up is not in the basic package.

Do I pay eigen risico at the dentist?

Only for dental care that is covered by the basic package and if you are 18 or older. The compulsory eigen risico in 2026 is €385. Children pay no eigen risico.

Are braces covered?

Usually not by the basic package, unless the orthodontics falls under special dental care for serious developmental disorders. Supplementary insurance may cover it.

Who decides how much a dentist may charge?

The NZa sets maximum tariffs for dental treatments. For 2026, a dentist visit is on average 1.12% cheaper than in 2025, according to the NZa.

Is supplementary dental insurance worth it?

That depends on your expected costs and the policy. The Rijksoverheid advises asking your insurer exactly what is reimbursed before choosing.

🇳🇱 Dutch Corner

Sources

• Rijksoverheid: Krijg ik tandartskosten vergoed? (checked 28 October 2026)
• Zorginstituut Nederland: Mondzorg (verzekerde zorg) (checked 28 October 2026)
• Rijksoverheid: Wanneer betaal ik een eigen risico? (€385 in 2026; checked 28 October 2026)
• NZa: Beugelbehandelingen volgend jaar goedkoper (2 July 2025)
• NZa: Tandartstarieven 2026 zijn kostendekkend; bezwaren ongegrond verklaard (26 June 2026)