11.02.2025
What statutory health insurance covers in periodontitis
German statutory health insurers cover the systematic treatment of periodontitis where the findings justify it. The basis is the directive of the Federal Joint Committee on the systematic treatment of periodontitis and other periodontal diseases, which came into force in July 2021.
It arranges the treatment into consecutive steps: first the findings are recorded and a consultation takes place in which home oral hygiene is discussed as well. Anti-infective therapy follows – the cleaning of the root surfaces below the gum margin. The findings are then recorded again. If deep pockets remain, a surgical step can follow.
The last part was the real novelty: supportive periodontal therapy. It accompanies the treatment over two years, longer in severe cases, with regular appointments for monitoring and cleaning. That acknowledges what the profession has long said: periodontitis is not dealt with in a single session.
For patients this means: ask the practice for the treatment plan and for which steps the insurer covers and which it does not. Both must be set out in writing before treatment begins.
Source: Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss, directive on the systematic treatment of periodontitis and other periodontal diseases.