Guide
Emergency dentist in the Netherlands: who to call
By Covered Abroad Research Desk · Last verified July 2026
Who to call, day or night
The KNMT, the Dutch dental association, runs a patient site that sets out the route. During the day you contact your own practice. Outside hours, dentists have arranged among themselves that you can also be seen in the evening, at night and at the weekend when it is necessary.
The name and number of the dentist on duty are on your own practice's answering machine and website. If you have no dentist, the site's advice is to call a dental practice near you and follow the instructions on its answering machine or website: you can use the emergency dentist even without a dentist of your own.
Away from home for work or a holiday, call a dentist where you are staying, or ask a hotel or holiday-park reception which dentist to contact.
Source: Alles over het gebit (KNMT): Met spoed naar de tandarts, read 16 October 2026.
What counts as urgent
The KNMT's professional guideline describes the cases out-of-hours cover exists for as patients with a pain complaint or bleeding after treatment. Its patient site adds that with acute or severe pain you should always contact a dentist, who then judges whether treatment is needed or pain relief will do, and that children in severe pain are always seen as quickly as possible.
Facial injury after an accident, uncontrolled bleeding or swelling that affects breathing is a hospital matter: call 112.
Source: KNMT: Opvang tandheelkundige spoedgevallen, read 16 October 2026.
Source: Alles over het gebit (KNMT): Met spoed naar de tandarts, read 16 October 2026.
60-second check
Not sure the policy you have meets your destination's written rule? Run it through the policy check now, before you build the rest of the file around it.
Check my policyWhat the emergency visit costs
The patient site says an emergency treatment by the dentist on duty costs the same as it would at your own dentist. In the evening, at night or at the weekend, the dentist charges the consultation code C003 and the treatment, plus the surcharge code C021.
The emergency dentist only carries out the necessary treatment, so expect follow-up work at your own dentist and ask about those costs too. Ask how to pay when you book, and bring:
- Identification: ID card, passport or driving licence
- Your health insurance card
- A way to pay
If you pay on the spot you take the bill with you and can claim it yourself, if you have supplementary dental insurance.
Source: Alles over het gebit (KNMT): Met spoed naar de tandarts, read 16 October 2026.
What basic insurance pays for adults
This is the fact that surprises new arrivals. Zorginstituut Nederland states that dental care for children under 18 is largely covered by the basic health insurance, but that from 18, dental care is no longer reimbursed from the basic package.
The exceptions it lists for adults are narrow: surgical dental care that only an oral surgeon (kaakchirurg) can carry out, the X-rays for it, and full dentures for the upper and lower jaw. If the oral surgeon does a treatment your dentist could have done, such as pulling a tooth, that is not reimbursed. Everything else depends on whether you bought supplementary dental cover.
Source: Zorginstituut Nederland: Mondzorg en tandarts (Zvw), read 16 October 2026.
Where private cover fits
On Regency's international health plans, emergency dental treatment (relief of pain only, on sound natural teeth) is not covered on Major Medical or Standard, is limited to inpatient treatment on Comprehensive, and is covered in full on Fully Comprehensive. Essential Health carries no dental benefit. Pre-existing conditions are excluded, and what applies is whatever your policy wording says. We are an insurance introducer, not an insurer, and nothing here is medical advice.