Does Resident offer payment plans?

For many treatments, a direct installment plan with our practice is possible. There is no blanket rule for this, but an individual agreement depending on the patient and the treatment. Raise the topic openly when we discuss the cost estimate, as we are prepared for it.

Is the installment plan with the practice interest-free?

The direct installment plan with the practice is usually interest-free or comes with a very low processing fee. Interest mainly arises with external financing through a third-party provider, where it is typically between four and nine percent annually, depending on creditworthiness and provider. We record the exact conditions in a written agreement.

Does basic insurance cover part of the costs?

Swiss basic insurance covers dental treatments only in narrowly defined exceptional cases, such as after an accident. As a rule, larger dental treatments are self-pay services. Supplementary insurance with a dental care module can cover part of the costs depending on tariff and maximum amount, but usually reimburses only after the invoice has been submitted.

What should I clarify about financing before treatment?

First clarify the exact amount through the written cost estimate. Submit it to any supplementary insurance and await the written cost confirmation. Only then do you know which own share actually needs to be financed in installments, and you can discuss the right model with the practice.

Can a large treatment be spread over several years?

Yes, provided the treatment phases are medically sensibly separable. A single root canal treatment cannot be split, whereas an extensive restoration with several implants and bridges can. Staging distributes the own burden more evenly across several insurance years. We address it in the treatment plan when it makes sense for your situation.

Payment plans at the dentist. What is possible in Switzerland and how it works.

An open question between patient and practice

Larger dental treatments can amount to several thousand francs in one sum. Implants, multi-part bridges or orthodontic treatments are often the occasions. Not every patient can or wants to bear these sums at once, even if the treatment is medically indicated.

In Switzerland there are several models of installment payment. The options are differently well-known and differently often used. This article explains the common models and how you discuss the topic with your practice.

Model 1: Direct installment payment with the practice

The simplest and often most pragmatic solution. The practice does not invoice the full sum immediately but distributes the payments over several months.

How it works:

You and the practice agree on a payment plan with monthly installments
The treatment runs normally, the practice bears the risk
Usually interest-free or with very low processing fee
Written agreement with amount and number of installments

Advantages:

Directly with your practice, without external financier
Usually interest-free
Flexibly adjustable with changes in your financial situation

Limits:

Trust basis needed: the practice bears the default risk, which is why the model is more often used with long-term patients or clearly documentable treatment needs
Not every practice offers this on their own, asking is worthwhile
With very high amounts the practice may recommend external financing

At Resident we discuss installment payment openly when you raise the topic. There is no blanket rule but an individual agreement per patient and treatment.

Model 2: Insurance reimbursement with pre-financing

If you have dental supplementary insurance with dental care module, the insurance covers part of the treatment costs. The reimbursement, however, takes place after submission of the invoice, that is you pay first and are reimbursed later.

A practical model is the combination:

You submit the cost estimate to the insurance and receive a written cost confirmation
You pay the treatment sum to the practice (possibly in agreed installments)
You submit the invoices to the insurance and receive the agreed share back

Some insurances enable direct billing between practice and insurance, so only your deductible flows to the practice. That is not available everywhere.

More on insurance logic in the article on health insurance at the dentist and in the article on supplementary insurance for teeth.

Model 3: External financing through third-party providers

There are providers in Switzerland offering treatment financing similar to consumer loans. The practice receives the full sum immediately, you pay in installments to the financier with interest.

Advantages:

Possible also with very high amounts
Longer terms available (often up to 60 months)
Practice has no default risk, can act independently

Limits:

Interest is added, usually between 4 and 9 percent annually, depending on creditworthiness and provider
Credit check by the financier
With payment difficulties clear contract consequences
Swiss Consumer Credit Act applies to these contracts

Example providers: Cembra Money Bank, BANK-now, Cashgate, as well as specific health finance providers. The practice usually has preferential conditions with selected partners; ask specifically.

External financing is sensible with very high amounts over multiple years of term when own financing and direct practice installments are insufficient. With smaller amounts the interest expense rarely pays off.

Model 4: Treatment staging

An indirect form of installment payment is the temporal distribution of the treatment. With multiple implants or a complex restoration the treatment can be distributed over multiple insurance years so that:

The maximum amount of supplementary insurance per year is used multiple times
The own burden per year is more evenly distributed
Liquidity spikes are avoided

Prerequisite: The treatment phases are medically sensibly separable. A single root canal treatment cannot be distributed over two years, a complete restoration with four implants and bridges however can.

We address the staging in the treatment plan when it makes sense for your constellation. More on the treatment plan in the article on the written cost estimate.

What you should clarify before treatment

Exact cost estimate. Before every larger treatment you receive a written cost estimate. You know the total sum before making decisions.
Insurance reimbursement. If you have supplementary insurance, clarify in advance what is reimbursed. Submit the cost estimate and await the written confirmation.
Own share and liquidity. With the reimbursement confirmation and your own financing you know which sum is to be financed in installments.
Discussion with the practice. Address the topic openly. Practices that know the topic often suggest practical solutions.
Check necessity. Not every treatment is immediately urgent. With non-acute need there is sometimes the option to begin with pre-treatment and tackle the more expensive main treatment later.
Discuss alternatives. With very high costs there are sometimes more cost-effective alternatives with similar result. For example a bridge instead of multiple implants, an inlay instead of a crown. More in the article Implant or bridge and Inlay versus crown.

How we handle this at Resident

We discuss financing topics openly. If you raise the topic, we are not surprised. A treatment that you cannot or do not want to start for financial reasons benefits no one.

For every larger treatment you receive a written cost estimate with detailed listing. When discussing the cost estimate we also address the financing options if relevant. Direct installment payment with our practice is possible for many treatments; we arrange this individually.

With very high amounts or specific financial situations we discuss external financing options or a temporal staging of the treatment. With non-acute need we can delay the treatment if it is sensible for financial reasons and medically defensible.

What you should not do

Postpone treatment despite acute need. Acute pain, inflammations or progressing caries should not remain untreated for financial reasons. The follow-up costs are often higher.

Begin treatment in a foreign practice because cheaper. International dental tourism can look attractive at first glance but is often difficult with complications. Swiss practices offer follow-up and warranty treatments for own work, not for foreign restorations.

Insurance conclusion shortly before treatment. Waiting times and reservations usually prevent the insurance from reimbursing short-term covered treatments. More in the article on supplementary insurance for teeth.

Split treatment in multiple practices without coordination. Difficult when the restorations build on each other.

Summary

Installment payment at the dentist is possible in Switzerland but has different models with different pros and cons. Direct installment payment with the practice is for many patients the most pragmatic solution. External financing is worthwhile with very high sums. The insurance reimbursement covers part of the costs as long as supplementary insurance exists.

Address the topic openly in treatment planning with your practice. Arrange an appointment at your location for the assessment and cost clarification.