What a dental crown costs and what the insurer pays

Statutory health insurance pays a fixed amount for a tooth that needs crowning. It depends on the findings, not on the material. If you choose a more elaborate crown, the allowance stays the same and your share rises.

What the price is made up of

Three items: the dentist's fee, the dental laboratory and the material. The laboratory share often makes up half – which is why quotations from two practices differ above all in which laboratory they commission and where it is based.

What makes the difference

A metal crown in the posterior region is the standard care. A full ceramic crown costs several times as much, but looks inconspicuous in the visible area. At the back you pay for an appearance nobody sees – that is a weighing-up, not a medical question.

What has to be in the cost plan

Findings, standard care, planned restoration, fixed allowance and your own share – shown separately. If they are not shown separately, ask. More on this under treatment and cost plan.