Overview of dental care for expats in the Netherlands, including Dutch dentistry quality registry, specialist dentist, professional requirements and dental insurance…
General practitioner dentists (‘tandarts’) account for over 90% of dental care administered in the Netherlands. Approximately 69% of Dutch residents are registered with a local practice which they visit regularly. Patients are typically scheduled for checkups every 6 months. Toddlers will frequently accompany their parent to dental appointments to become familiar with a dental office setting, then from 3 years on for their own checkup.
DENTAL FEES
Maximum fees that can be charged for specific dental care treatments are set at the national level by the government in consultation with the Dutch dentists union.
View the 2024 Netherlands Dental Fee Schedule
DENTAL INSURANCE
The Dutch national ‘basic’ health insurance policy (mandatory for all residents in Holland) covers dental care for all children residing in the Netherlands up until their 18th birthday.
Insurance policies that cover preventive dental care, curative treatments and orthodontic procedures for adults (18+ years of age) are available from most Dutch insurers. Alternatively, a patient can pay for dental care out-of-pocket.
DUTCH HEALTHCARE PROVIDER REGISTRY
The Individual Health Care Professions Act (BIG Act) was introduced in the Netherlands for medical care and dentistry on 1st December 1997. Its purpose is to promote and monitor the quality of Dutch healthcare (including dentistry) and help protect patients from receiving unprofessional or negligent care. Every dentist and dental hygienist practicing in the Netherlands is legally required to be registered in the BIG directory (with an assigned BIG identification number).
DUTCH DENTAL QUALITY REGISTRY
In 2007, the KRT (Quality Register for Dentists) was established with the objective of creating transparency in the quality of care administered by individual Dutch dental professionals in order to improve patient safety.
To be admitted to the tandarts registry, the practitioner must meet 4 requirements :
- The dentist must have a full, unconditional registration in the BIG directory.
- The dentist must have a valid complaints procedure for patients.
- The dentist must comply with applicable practice guidelines and code-of-conduct for dental practitioners.
- The dentist must be able to communicate adequately in the Dutch language.
The dentist must renew their registration every five years which requires the following criteria to be met:
- The dentist has spent 180 hours in ongoing training across 4 competence areas*
- The dentist has provided dental care to patients for a minimum average of 14 hours per week.
- The dentist has conducted a patient survey.
- The dentist has been inspected by fellow dentists.
*Dental Competencies:
- General dentistry
- Communication
- Cooperation
- Scientific knowledge
- Social action
- Organization
- Professionalism
DENTAL SPECIALISTS
Patients can visit a dental specialist directly, but more commonly via a referral from their primary dentist. A different fee scale applies to treatments administered by a dental specialist. The maximum amount for each type of treatment is established annually by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport.
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons work mainly in hospitals and research clinics while orthodontists primarily work in private practice.
Dental hygienists are paramedicals with an independent status. Most are employed at dental practices while others work in hospitals or have a practice of their own.
General practitioner dentists may have a special interest in a specific area of dentistry, and may have extensive experience and skills in it, but has not qualified officially as a dental specialist in that discipline. Such dentists are still considered general care dentists and patients can enroll even if they do not have a condition that requires special attention.
DUTCH DENTAL SPECIALTIES
In the Netherlands, dental specialties or disciplines include:
- Children’s dentistry (Kindertandarts)
- Orthodontistry (Orthdontoloog)
- Oral implants (Implantoloog)
- Endodontics (Endodontoloog)
- Periodontics (Parodontoloog)
- Oral surgery (Kaakchirurg)
- Dental anxiety (Tandarts angstgeleiding)
- Senior’s dentistry (Ouderentandarts)
- Oral hygienist (Mondhygienist)
DENTAL TREATMENTS
Common dental treatments in the Netherlands include:
- Bridge (Bruggen)
- Root canal (Wortelkanaal)
- Cosmetic dentistry (Cosmetische tandheelkunde)
- Facing
- Braces (Beugel)
- Teeth whitening (Tandem bleken)
- Dentures (Gebitsprothese)
DENTAL EMERGENCIES
According to the BIG Act every individual dental practice has to have an arrangement to offer after-hours emergency services. For details, check the website of the practice, or telephone the practice and an answering machine will tell you who to contact in an emergency (most messages are in Dutch). Treatment after opening hours, in the evening and after midnight will have additional costs. Patients experiencing toothaches or other minor discomfort should wait until the next day to contact their dental office but trauma causing tooth loss, luxation or complicated fractures should be be taken care of in the first 30-45 minutes after an accident.
Every dentist has to offer immediate emergency care within 45 minutes of being notified of the problem.
Related information…
ONVZ HEALTH INSURANCE FOR EXPATS
