Dentist

Finding a dentist   

The best way to find a dentist is through personal recommendation from friends, colleagues, or neighbours. Your family General Practitioner (Huisarts) may also be able to suggest a suitable dentist, and the municipality can sometimes provide you with information on local dentists and the names of dentists who speak your language. You can either call the dentists by phone to register, or (for some dental practices) you can register via a form on their website. 

Once you have registered with a dental practice, they may send you reminders to attend biannual checkups (this may be a requirement of your insurance company).  

To find a dentist, several orthodontist or dental hygienist review and comparison sites are also available. Be aware that some of these sites are sponsored by health care insurers and may not be fully objective.  

Emergencies  

For emergency dental treatment outside practice hours you call the practice. An answering machine will inform you about who to contact in case of an emergency. Take note that this information will usually be in Dutch.  

Coverage of dental care  

The cost of dental care is usually not included in a basic  health insurance  package (basispakket). You may want to take out additional insurance. For information about your coverage, check your policy terms or contact your insurer.  

Orthodontist

Sometimes you might need to go to an orthodontist. However, it is a good idea to check first whether your current dentist clinic is also an orthodontist clinic, as not all dentists are not qualified to do orthodontist work. Be aware that you might need some add-ons on your health insurance package in order to cover it, which will lead to a higher monthly payment. However, it can still be advantageous to choose the add-on in case you need more orthodontist treatment in a year. There is one exception for covering the orthodontist work by the basic health insurance, which only applies to children having a severe growth disorder in their mouth. Under the age of 18, children are oftentimes covered with their parents' health insurance.