For dental care, you pay a large part of the cost yourself. It is important to ask your dentist or dental hygienist what an examination or treatment will cost. You have the right to know in advance.
Free dental care for children and young people
Children and young people have the right to dental care without having to pay . This applies until the last December of the year they turn 23. This includes virtually all examinations and treatments and it does not matter if you go to a private dentist or to the National Dental Service. In some regions, there may be a higher age limit for free dental care.Financial support for dental care
There are three types of support you can receive from the year you turn 24:- The general dental care allowance, ATB . This means that you receive a dental care allowance of $30 or 60 per year, depending on how old you are.
- A special dental care allowance , STB, which you can get for preventive dental care if you have a disease that affects the teeth. Special dental care allowance is $60 per half year.
- High-cost protection for dental care begins to apply when the so-called reference prices for dental care exceed $ 300 within a year. You will then receive a deduction for measures that cost more than $ 300.
Dental care at a fixed price
Subscription dental care is a contract that acts as an insurance. That agreement is an agreement between you and the dentist, usually in the National Dental Service. You pay a monthly fee that you have to pay even though you do not go to the dentist that month. If you then need a treatment that is included in the agreement, it is already paid for via the fee. It can be, for example, a denture ,.With subscription dental care, the most common examinations and treatments are usually paid for when you go to the dentist or dental hygienist.
Opportunities for lower dental care costs
Sometimes you can get dental care for the same fee as medical care in your region. If you need a lot of dental care, the usual high-cost protection for health and medical care applies. This means that the care costs a maximum of $ 115 during a year. For people who are 85 years and older, such dental care is free of charge.Dental care for the same fee as for medical care applies in the following situations:
- You have an illness and need dental care as part of the treatment . For example, if you are going to have heart surgery, you must not have any infections in the oral cavity. Then you need to get dental care with treatment for the infection before the operation.
- You have a great need for nursing in daily life . You can also get it if you are covered by LSS, which means the law on support and service for certain disabled people.
- You have a long-term illness and disability which means that you need more dental care than others. This may be because the disease itself carries an increased risk of tooth damage or because you have problems maintaining your oral hygiene.
If you damage your teeth
If you injure yourself or have problems with your teeth in connection with your work, it can be counted as a work injury . You make an application for compensation to the Swedish Social Insurance Agency and send it with receipts or invoices. Försäkringskassan tests whether the injury is counted as an occupational injury.If the dental problems are approved as an occupational injury, you can receive compensation for the examinations, treatments and travel costs you had due to the injury.
Private accident insurance can also cover the cost of dental injuries.
If you can not afford dental care
There may be different solutions that allow you to still afford dental care even if you can not afford to pay for it. For example, you can get help applying for a loan or split the cost to avoid paying it all at once.Sometimes loans, installment plans or less expensive treatment options do not help. Such times, the solution may be to contact the social services in the home municipality.
