A dental check-up of just a few minutes a year can make a difference of hundreds of euros when you need a crown, a bridge, or a prosthesis. The Dental Bonus Book Germany serves to prove that you have regularly visited the dentist and to increase the support from your public health insurance.
What is the Bonus Book and what is it for?
The dental bonus book (Zahnbonusheft) is a record of your preventive check-ups at the dentist (zahnärztliche Vorsorgeuntersuchungen). It is primarily intended for people who are members of the public health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung, GKV).
Each time you have the corresponding check-up, the clinic places a stamp or digitally records the visit. If in the future you need a dental prosthesis (Zahnersatz), that history can increase the fixed subsidy (Festzuschuss) that your health insurance fund (Krankenkasse) pays.
The bonus book does not directly reduce the price of a professional cleaning, a filling, or a root canal treatment. Its economic benefit mainly applies to crowns, bridges, removable prostheses, and other treatments considered dental prosthetics.
How much can the support increase?
Since October 2020, public health insurance usually covers 60% of the calculated cost for standard treatment (Regelversorgung). With a complete bonus book, the percentage can increase:
Without bonus: 60% of standard treatment.
With 5 consecutive years: 70%.
With 10 consecutive years: 75%.
Example: If the recognized standard treatment costs 1,000 EUR, the basic support would be approximately 600 EUR. With five complete years, it would rise to 700 EUR, and with ten years, it would reach 750 EUR. In this case, the book would represent an additional saving of up to 150 EUR.
The difference can be greater in extensive treatments. However, the percentages are calculated based on standard treatment, not necessarily on the total price of the option you choose. If you prefer an implant or more expensive materials, public support usually continues to be based on the standard solution indicated in the treatment and cost plan (Heil- und Kostenplan).
How the Dental Bonus Book Germany Works
Adults must generally prove one dental check-up per calendar year. It is not mandatory to wait exactly twelve months between appointments: what matters is that there is a recorded check-up in each year.
Minors aged 12 to 17 usually participate in individual prophylaxis check-ups (Individualprophylaxe) twice a year, with the required interval between visits. From the age of 18, the annual rule for adults applies.
How to keep it complete
Bring the book to each check-up and check the stamp before leaving.
Keep the bonus book along with your important medical documents.
Ask the clinic to check if previous years are missing.
Do not confuse a professional dental cleaning (professionelle Zahnreinigung) with the annual preventive check-up. The cleaning alone does not always replace the check-up that needs to be recorded.
There is also the electronic dental bonus book (elektronisches Zahnbonusheft or eBonusheft), linked to the electronic patient file (elektronische Patientenakte, ePA). Its practical availability may depend on your health insurance and the clinic's infrastructure. The paper book remains an important proof, so it is advisable to keep it.
I lost my Bonus Book: What should I do?
Losing the book does not necessarily mean losing all accumulated years. The first step is to request a new one at your dental clinic. After that, ask them to reconstruct the previous check-ups using your patient file (Patientenakte).
Clinics must retain medical documentation for the applicable legal periods. If you changed dentists, contact each office where you had check-ups and ask them to certify the corresponding dates. You may need to take the new book to several clinics.
You can also consult your health insurance, as they may have billing data. However, this data does not always replace the dentist's confirmation. The safest way is to obtain the retroactive stamps directly from the clinics that performed the check-ups.
What happens if I missed a year?
In principle, to receive the bonus for five or ten years, you must demonstrate continuous check-ups. If a check-up is missing, the period may be interrupted. In justified exceptional situations, the health insurance may consider whether to maintain the benefit, especially when it comes to a single absence within the required history. It is not automatic: submit the proofs and request an individual assessment before accepting the calculation.
If you have a low income, there may also be a regulation for economic hardship (Härtefallregelung). When the requirements are met, public insurance may cover up to 100% of standard treatment. The income limits are updated, so you should confirm them directly with your health insurance.
Bonus Book and Supplemental Dental Insurance
Even with ten years of bonus, there can still be significant expenses if you choose a solution that exceeds standard treatment. A supplemental dental insurance (Zahnzusatzversicherung) can cover part of the remaining costs according to the contracted plan.
Before signing up, review the reimbursement percentages, limits during the first years, waiting periods, already recommended treatments, and whether the benefit is calculated including the payment of public insurance. A treatment diagnosed or started before signing up may normally be excluded.
The bonus book and the supplemental insurance do not compete: they serve different functions. The former increases the public subsidy for prosthetics; the latter can reduce your private share according to its conditions. Therefore, it is advisable to keep the history even if you already have additional coverage.
If you want to review a dental solution from BarmeniaGothaer and understand how it fits with your public health insurance, contact Elvis Campuzano, advisor at BarmeniaGothaer and head of a service center. Call 0172 2638910 or visit finanzencampuzano.de. The guidance is provided through Finanzen Campuzano by BarmeniaGothaer.