Dental care gaps identified for care recipients in Germany

Data from the Barmer health insurance company reveals a significant gap in dental preventative care for people requiring nursing assistance in Germany. According to an evaluation of billing data for 2024, only approximately 30 percent of inpatient care recipients and 2.4 percent of outpatient care recipients in Baden-Württemberg received dental prophylaxis services.

Despite a 2018 change to the billing catalog that grants care recipients the right to two preventative examinations per year to avoid caries and periodontal disease, utilization remains low. Winfried Plötze, regional manager for Barmer, emphasized that oral health is vital for overall quality of life and general health. He noted that visiting a dentist is often difficult for those in inpatient care and urged all nursing homes to establish cooperation agreements with dentists, noting that currently only half of the 2,059 inpatient facilities in Baden-Württemberg have such agreements.