Guide to Dental Care in Norway

Norway has a very good public insurance system that includes coverage for all Norwegian citizens and expatriates up to the age of 18. By the age of three, people will be enlisted under the Norwegian dental care system and will be able to avail of free treatments. Under this scheme, people are informed of their dental appointments through email or snail mail by the municipal dentist. When the patient repeatedly misses appointments, his chance of staying in the government's free dental program will be forfeited.

Because people may only avail of free dental treatment up to the age of 18, they take out private health insurance in Norway. This helps them settle the bills that can be quite high. Although dental equipment, facilities, and professionals are all part of a highly efficient dental care system in the country, it is not cheap to see a dentist in this country, especially for highly specialized or complicated treatments. Hence, expats will always find international health insurance in Norway helpful with the costs.

Many dentists speak English, but there are still those who do not. Language is usually one of the barriers between local dentists and expatriate patients. So for those who want to make sure they can communicate effectively with their dentists, they can look for online listings of English-speaking practitioners in Norway or, better yet, they can contact their embassies and ask for information.