EN
Dentures in Germany restore chewing, clear speech and the smile, and the route to them runs through a detailed treatment plan and a written estimate issued before work begins. The prosthesis may be a removable plate, a crown, a bridge or a restoration on implants.
Below are the types of dentures, how the price is set and how many visits treatment takes. Prices of individual crowns, bridges and other dental work are listed under dental treatment prices.
Where a Denture Treatment Plan Starts
A denture treatment plan starts with an examination and imaging: a panoramic X-ray or a 3D scan of the jaw (CBCT) shows the remaining teeth, roots and bone. Decay and gum inflammation are treated first and the anchor teeth prepared; no denture is fitted before that. See also dentistry in Germany.
The clinic then issues a treatment plan with a cost estimate, the Heil- und Kostenplan, which lists every procedure line by line before work starts. The dentist’s work is charged under the GOZ, the official scale of dental fees: each item has a base rate, multiplied by a factor that the dentist sets according to difficulty and time. Materials and dental laboratory work appear as separate lines. The full scale is in the official GOZ text.
| Cost item | Depends on | Guide figure |
|---|---|---|
| Examination and imaging | X-ray only or also CBCT | clinic’s estimate |
| Treatment before the denture | teeth to treat, gum inflammation, preparing anchor teeth | clinic’s estimate |
| Dentist’s work (GOZ) | number of procedures, difficulty factor | clinic’s estimate |
| Laboratory and materials | type, material, number of teeth | clinic’s estimate |
| Implants and bone grafting | number of implants, grafting or sinus lift | clinic’s estimate |
Removable Dentures: Types and What Drives the Price
Removable dentures are made of acrylic, on a cast-metal frame or of nylon, and the more complex the retention and laboratory work, the higher the price. A full acrylic denture replaces all the teeth. A partial acrylic denture hooks onto the neighbouring teeth with wire clasps; it is the simplest option and often a temporary one.
A cast-metal partial denture attaches to the remaining teeth with metal clasps or precision attachments hidden in crowns, and a telescopic-crown denture slides over inner crowns fixed on the anchor teeth. Both spread the chewing load over the remaining teeth and hold more securely than acrylic.
Flexible nylon dentures are light and have no visible metal clasps, but nylon is hard to repair or reline (refit to changed gums), so it cannot always be adjusted. Overall, the price depends on how many teeth are replaced, the type of retention, the base material and the laboratory work.
Fixed and Implant-Supported Prostheses
Fixed prostheses are crowns and bridges on your own teeth, while implant-supported ones rest on artificial roots in the bone. A crown restores one damaged tooth; a bridge replaces one or more missing teeth in a row, but the neighbouring teeth that carry it have to be ground down. Materials include zirconia, press ceramic and metal-ceramic; prices of individual restorations are on the dental treatment prices page.
Implants can carry a single crown or a removable or fixed prosthesis. If there is not enough bone, it is built up first by bone grafting or, in the upper jaw, sometimes a sinus lift. This is the field of maxillofacial surgery; Prof. Denys Loeffelbein, for example, heads such a department at Helios München West.
Prosthodontists, dentists who specialise in replacing teeth, also work with implants. One is Prof. Florian Beuer, director of the prosthodontics department at Charité in Berlin; his fields include digital dental technology, all-ceramic restorations, implant prosthetics and CAD/CAM, meaning computer-aided design and milling. He is a certified specialist in implantology (DGI) and prosthodontics (DGPro), and from 2021 to 2024 he was president of the German Society of Implantology.
Timing: Number of Visits and Length of Stay
A denture without implants is usually made during one trip with several appointments, taking from several days to two weeks; the time depends on the design, and the clinic names it. The teeth are prepared, impressions or a digital scan are taken, the laboratory makes the framework, the fit and bite are checked at a try-in, and then the prosthesis is fitted.
Implant-supported prostheses usually need two trips. After the implants are placed, the bone has to fuse with them, which takes several months, spent at home; the permanent crowns or prosthesis are attached on the second trip. The surgeon gives the exact interval, which depends partly on whether bone had to be built up.
Frequently asked questions
Can I find out the cost of dentures before travelling?
Yes, a preliminary assessment is possible remotely. From a recent panoramic X-ray or CBCT, photos of your smile and a description of your current teeth and restorations, the dentist drafts a preliminary plan and estimate. The final Heil- und Kostenplan follows an in-person examination, which may show, for example, that a tooth cannot be saved.
Can a denture be made in a single trip?
Yes, if no implants are needed: removable dentures, crowns and bridges can usually be completed in one trip; the clinic says how many days after reviewing your images. Implant-supported prostheses normally need two trips, because the bone has to fuse with the implant before the permanent crown is attached.
Which denture should I choose: removable, fixed or on implants?
The dentist and patient decide together after the examination, mainly on the condition of the mouth: how many teeth remain and how sound they are, whether there is enough bone for implants and whether any illness makes surgery inadvisable. The patient’s wishes count too, for example never having to take the denture out, or avoiding surgery.
How AlenMed Arranges Dentures in Germany
AlenMed handles the paperwork, contact with the clinic and travel planning. The patient sends a panoramic X-ray or CBCT, photos of the smile, a description of what is already in the mouth (implants, bridges, dentures) and details of illnesses and medicines. We translate the records and send them to a dental clinic, whose dentist gives a preliminary plan.
The final Heil- und Kostenplan follows a face-to-face examination. Payment goes directly to the clinic, and AlenMed’s services are paid separately. If two trips are needed, we plan both, and an interpreter joins the patient at appointments. The company’s office is in Munich and the clinics are across Germany; see also arranging treatment in Germany.
This material is for reference only and is not an offer; the type of prosthesis and the treatment plan are decided by the dentist in person.