An Overview of Dental Care in Israel
For such a tiny country, Israel boasts a robust dental care system* and while adult dental care is not covered in Israel’s otherwise impressive national health care system, there are both public and private dental options. With so many dental clinics throughout the country to choose from, it can be confusing and overwhelming for new immigrants and Israeli natives alike to find the right dentist.
In both public and private dental clinics, you can find dentists who are locally and internationally trained and certified. As with everything in Israel, there are a wide range of opinions regarding whether public or private dental care is better. Here are some noticeable differences to help you make the very best dental care choices for you and your family.
Public healthcare funds
Israel’s four public healthcare funds (Kupot Cholim) (Clalit, Meuchedet, Maccabi and Le’umit), operate their own for-profit dental clinics around the country; with their own individual price lists. These are essentially private companies, employing dentists in a large clinic setting offering dentistry at low cost, mainly due to the size of the patient pool they maintain. Again, while adult dental care is not covered by insurance, these clinics do offer supplementary insurance plans, with benefits ranging from free and/or discounted dental treatments, to free annual check-ups and more.
For children up to the age of 16, certain dental treatments or services offered at these Kupot Cholim are either fully covered by Israel’s National Health Insurance plan or offered at discounted rates. It’s important to check with each healthcare fund to see what treatments they, or their supplemental insurance, cover and what discounts are offered.
Private Dental Care
Israel’s private dental care sector is alive and well and available throughout Israel. Private dentists have their own individual price lists and range of services offered. More often than not, patients will find internationally trained English-speaking dentists working in the private sector, as this environment is more familiar to them than the fast pace of work in the public sector.
Main differences between public and private dental care
Generally, dental treatment at the Kupot are procedure-based rather than prevention-based, patients are assigned to a dentist which might result in seeing a different dentist at each visit, and the time allotted for each procedure is limited. In contrast, private dentists are focused on prevention, in an environment designed for them to take the time to hear your concerns and answer your questions. Seeing the same dentist at each visit ensures continuity of care, providing you with the benefit of developing a relationship with your dentist, which is key to the best dental care and is beneficial to your overall health care.
Israeli dental care compared to dental care broad
The following are a few main differences between dental care found in Israel and abroad:
Prices: Dentistry prices are high everywhere in the world, including in Israel. However, it’s been argued that prices of quality dental care in Israel are actually lower than in the U.S., U.K. or Canada. This has spurred a rise in dental tourism to Israel.
Materials: Dentists in Israel have access to all of the same dental materials that American and European dentists have, as well as various high tech advances, such as intraoral scanners, digital radiography, guided surgery, etc.
Service: It can be challenging to find warm and personal dentists in the public sector, while in the private sector, Israelis and new immigrants, who are willing to pay for private care, will easily find the personalized and professional services they are accustomed to from ‘back home’.
Israel is blessed with an
established, professional dental care system and good dental health is within the reach of new immigrants, native Israelis and tourists alike. This overview was designed to help you begin the process of finding a dental clinic with the level of professionalism, care and service that best suits you and your family and speaks your language.
About the Raanana Dental Care Clinic: The clinic was established by Olim co-founders Dr. Anna Jotkowitz (Australia), Dr. Abbe Kellner-Kutno (USA) and Dr. Dena Naeh (USA) and focuses on preventative care and specializes in high quality restorative and esthetic dental treatments, dental phobias, as well as emergency dental care. The Clinic’s state-of-the-art, serene, patient-centred offices are centrally
located in the heart of Raanana.
Contact us today; we understand you and we speak your language.
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Make an appointment today: https://www.raananadental.com/#contact 09-957 7660
Raanana Dental Care creating, healthy, radiant smiles!
* Disclaimer: information regarding public healthcare funds (Kupot Cholim) are subject to change. Please see the individual Kupot for specific information. Raanana Dental Care takes no responsibility for information not specific to their own practice as provided above.