Ottonova Dental Insurance Review in 2024

Are you on the hunt for supplementary dental insurance in Germany (Zahnzusatz­versicherung) that goes above and beyond the ordinary?

Look no further because, in this comprehensive guide, we’re diving deep into the world of Ottonova’s top-up dental insurance.

We’ll walk you through the ins and outs of Ottonova Dental Insurance, covering everything from its coverage to limits, pricing, and customer experiences.

So, let’s jump right in.

Ottonova Dental Insurance Overview

Ottonova is the pioneer of digital insurance in Germany’s private health insurance space. The company started in 2017 and gained popularity with its all-digital approach, immediate coverage, and excellent customer service.

In fact, the company has been named “test winner” twice (in the dental insurance category) by Stiftung Warentest in 2019 and 2022.

Ottonova Dental Insurance Review for 2024

Let’s take a closer look at how this insurance provider approaches dental coverage to ensure you have a solid foundation for understanding how their policy works.

Plans

First, let’s give you a brief overview of what Ottonova has to offer.

Ottonova offers the following three dental insurance plans:

• Economy Class (Ottonova Zahn 70) costing €8.80 per month
• Business Class (Ottonova Zahn 85) costing €9.81 per month
• First Class (Ottonova Zahn 100) costing €15.42 per month

Economy Class (Ottonova Zahn 70)

The plan offers:

• Up to €70 per insurance year for Dental cleaning (Zahnsteinentfernung)
• Other prophylactic treatments, diagnostic tests to predict your risk of cavities, and fissure sealants
• Dental treatments like root canal (Wurzelkanal), periodontal, and plastic fillings (100%)
• Dental prostheses, including implants and inlays (70%)
• Functional analysis and functional therapy (70%)

Business Class (ottonova Zahn 85)

The plan offers Economy Class features and the following:

• Dental prostheses, including implants and inlays (85%)
• Orthodontics for children (85 – 100%)
• Two dental cleaning sessions (Up to €70 per session)
• Functional analysis and functional therapy (85%)

First Class (ottonova Zahn 100)

The plan comes with everything in the Business Class plus:

• Dental prostheses, including implants and inlays (100%)
• Orthodontics for adults
• Functional analysis and functional therapy (100%)
• Orthodontics for children (100%)
• Two dental cleaning sessions (Up to €90 per session)
• Additional anesthesia (Vollnarkose) coverage (100%)

The prices mentioned are called “Premiums,” and they can vary based on multiple factors.

Let’s see how it works.

Premiums

While your plan and age are rather straightforward factors, your dental condition will need some verification.

Yes. The platform will ask you some questions at the time of sign-up (as seen below).

Ottonova will calculate your premium based on your answers, and you can decide whether it fits your budget or not.

Depending on your insurance plan and on the treatment, you will either pay a small part yourself or you will pay nothing at all. For example, if you need an implant, your Public Health Insurance (PKV) will only pay €400 for it.

How much will you pay for it?

See the image below to understand how Ottonova works with German health insurance.

• If you’re on the Economy plan, you will pay €810.
• If you’re on the Business plan, you will pay €405.
• If you’re on the First Class plan, you will pay nothing.

Similarly, there are different coverage types for other dental procedures and treatments.

Let’s review the coverage in detail.

Dental Work Covered

So, what dental procedures does Ottonova dental insurance cover?

Let’s go over the plan options once again to find out.

Dental cleaning (Zahnsteinentfernung)

Economy Class plan offers €70 per insurance year.

Business Class offers €140 per year and only €70 per dental cleaning session.

First Class offers €180 per insurance year and €90 per cleaning session.

Preventive Measures

All three plans offer coverage for prophylactic treatments, diagnostic tests to predict your risk of cavities, and fissure sealants.

However, these measures are also capped at the same amounts as dental cleaning. 

Plastic Fillings (Kunststoff-Füllungen)

All three plans offer 100% coverage for plastic fillings, including synthetic, composite, and enamel fillings.

Plus, the plans also cover laser treatment, imaging, digital volume tomography, anesthesia services, and insertion of occlusal appliances and splints, if there are any.

Root Canal and Periodontal Disease Treatments (Parodontosebehandlungen)

All Ottonova plans offer 100% coverage for periodontal and root canal treatments. This includes everything in the below-highlighted list.

Also, notice that the website clearly states it will pay:

• 70% if the dentist is not registered with GKV
• 85% if GKV does not provide any advance payment even when your dentist is registered with German public health insurance

Dental Prostheses (Zahnersatz)

However, things change when you need implants (crowns, bridges, and dentures), inlays, overlays, or other cosmetic treatments. These are not medically necessary, so Ottonova will only cover 70% and 85% if you’re on the Economy and Business plans, respectively.

But there’s good news as well. The First Class plan will still offer 100% coverage.

Below are the details and limits if the dentist is not registered with public insurance.

The same percentages (70%, 85%, and 100%) apply to functional analysis and functional therapy.

Orthodontics For Adults

Ottonova will cover orthodontic procedures if your statutory health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) does it.

Since most public insurance plans don’t usually cover it, the Economy and Business Class plans also won’t cover orthodontics.

The First Class plan, however, will cover 100% of orthodontic treatments to a limit of €2000 in 10 insurance years.

Orthodontics For Children

The Economy plan doesn’t cover orthodontics for children.

The Business Class plan covers 85% to 100% of it based on the orthodontic indication groups (kiefer- orthopädische Indikationsgruppen), also known as KIG classifications. This plan will cover KIG 3 to 5 but has a limit of €1500 in 10 insurance years.

The First Class plan covers 100% of children’s orthodontics, up to a limit of €2000 in 10 insurance years.

KIG 1 – 2 means that a treatment is not necessary, and your public health insurance won’t cover it.

KIG 3 – 5 means that a treatment is necessary, and your public health insurance will partially cover it.

Additional Anesthesia Coverage

Only the First Class plan covers 100% of additional anesthesia services, such as:

• Sedation
• Pain Relief
• Anxiety Management
• Acupuncture
• Hypnosis
• Nitrous oxide
• General anesthetic

However, there’s a limit of €300 per insurance year.

Now that we’re aware of the coverage, let’s learn about the limitations.

Limitations

Depending on your insurance usage duration, there are some limits to how much Ottonova will cover.

Contract Period & Cancellation

Ottonova has a minimum contract period of two years.

Once you complete this contract period, you can cancel your insurance any month. However, you can switch plans as per your needs before completing the contract period.

Reimbursements Process

Ottonova has a fast reimbursement process and claims to reimburse your insured amounts within 48 hours.

User Experience

As an English-speaking expat, Ottonova makes your life easier by combining an intuitive user experience with an all-English platform.

Both platforms have a user-friendly interface and feature all the information in English, making for a pleasant user experience.

Not to forget that the coverage starts as soon as you buy the insurance.

Customer Support

Ottonova has exceptional customer support.

Whether you’re on the website or mobile app, you can access customer support via live chat.

You can ask questions about plans, claims, appointments, or anything you need help with.

Verdict

Ottonova offers a compelling array of benefits for those seeking comprehensive top-up dental insurance in Germany.

This insurance provider’s strengths lie in its all-digital approach, efficient customer service, and speedy reimbursement process, making it an attractive choice, especially for English-speaking expatriates.

The absence of waiting periods is another advantage, allowing you to access dental care without unnecessary delays.

However, it’s important to note that Ottonova’s premiums, while competitive, may not be the most budget-friendly option for everyone.

Ultimately, your choice should align with your specific dental health needs and financial considerations.