Opticians and kids! and.....Orthodontists too!

My 14yr old is going to need a sight test and possibly glasses. How does this all work in Germany? I know back in England at my opticians they offer free glasses to kids but somehow I doubt it over here! Is there a standard sight test fee or can opticians charge what they like from place to place? If anyone has any experience of this, please let me know! Might be cheaper for me to fly back to England and sort it!

Looks like same son will need a brace for his teeth too...not having experienced the dental system here yet either, any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks all

Nothing's for free Hellie, so it will depend on your insurance..

Has your son visited an Opthalmist (Augenarzt)?

If not, it might be wise to have his eyes properly checked, you will then get a prescription for necessary glasses. If you just go to the optician here, I'm not so sure you can get the costs from your insurance.

As for the tooth brace -- Ask around what experience people in your area have had with the dentists and go to what seems the best one. Get your son to ask his school friends which dentist does the coolest brace (they have become a fashion accessory here). The system is much as in UK, treatment is free for children if you have compulsory insurance, you get a bill from the dentist if you are privately insured.

I paid privately for an eye test for my kids recently. It came to about €70 for a thorough exam for each child. I am going to take my youngest back to the UK for orthodontics (my sister worked for one) and then have the adjustments done here. I heard the initial fitting of the braces is very costly in Germany as we have to pay up front and then wait about 3 months to get the money back

My neice just had braces put in and other than a co-pay it was all covered, best to ask a co-worker who is on the same insurance as you are.

I was talking with my aunt yesterday she is a Orthodontists and was complaining that inpsite of her practice booming the public insurance will only pay for so many procedures per quater, after that she gets only 50% 20% or nothing depending on how much she is over. Her only hope is to get private patients.

Unless it has changed. We got a quote from the Orthodontist to say how much it would cost and approximately how long the treatment would take. This had to be approved by the KK. My son had regular checkups and we got quaterly bills. I think the KK paid 80% and we paid the rest. At the end of the treatment (which extended over a few years) we got all the money back that we had paid. We ofcourse had to provide the copies of the bills.

You do get the money back from the KK for a sight test at the opticians BUT this is not a sight test like you get in Britain - it is simply to decide what type of glasses you need. They don't do any of the tests for eye diseases etc you get at a British opticians - the Augenarzt does those.