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Free Braces
Since 1 July 2015, Austria has offered free braces (known in German as the “Gratis Zahnspange”): children and teenagers under 18 with a severe misalignment of the teeth or jaw (IOTN grade 4 or 5) have their orthodontic treatment paid for by the public health insurance – with no excess and no co-payment. On this information website you will find everything you need to know about the requirements, the procedure and the certified contract institutes in Vienna.
Free initial consultation: A no-obligation consultation with a contract orthodontist will clarify whether your child is entitled to free braces. In Vienna, you can make your appointment at Zahnregulierung Eltz (tel. 01 3583 100, 1010 Vienna) or Zahnregulierung Votiv (tel. 01 407 7029, 1090 Vienna) – or directly via online appointment booking. Short waiting times, appointments available now.
Free braces at a glance
- Who: children and teenagers who are not yet 18 when the braces are fitted.
- Requirement: a severe misalignment of the teeth or jaw of IOTN grade 4 or 5 (Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need) – assessed by a contract orthodontist (an orthodontist contracted with the Austrian public health insurance).
- Cost: €0 – consultation, diagnostics, treatment and the first retainer at the end of treatment are all included. You pay nothing extra.
- What: depending on age, removable braces (early treatment, usually before the 10th birthday) or fixed braces with metal brackets (main treatment once the permanent teeth are in).
- Where in Vienna: at the certified contract institutes Zahnregulierung Eltz (1010 Vienna) and Zahnregulierung Votiv (1090 Vienna). Open to children from all over Austria.
- What to bring: just your child's e-card (Austrian health insurance card). No referral needed.
Free braces are intended for all children and teenagers with complex misalignments and therefore represent substantial financial relief for families: paid for privately, orthodontic treatment can easily cost several thousand euros. The certified orthodontists use high-quality silver brackets to achieve a healthy, beautiful smile quickly and gently.
Why should misaligned teeth be corrected?
We recommend that parents arrange a first consultation for orthodontic treatment with an orthodontist once their child is 5 to 6 years old. The earlier a misalignment is detected, the gentler and shorter the treatment usually is.
There are many reasons for this:
- Firstly, orthodontic treatment can be important for your child's health. Misaligned teeth do not only have aesthetic effects – if left untreated, they can hinder or disrupt your child's further development. Parents may not initially associate many health problems with misaligned teeth at all. Did you know, for example, that children with a crossbite often also suffer from misalignment of the pelvis and spine? Or that infections or concentration problems can be linked to a narrow upper jaw? Starting orthodontic treatment – in other words, braces – in good time can spare your child later consequences such as surgery or severe misalignments and the associated health problems later in life.
- Secondly, misaligned teeth and jaws often lead to children being laughed at or teased at school. This social pressure can cause psychological strain from an early age, which orthodontic treatment can prevent. See also the following video:
- Thirdly, orthodontic treatment in childhood can correct jaw misalignments that later can often only be resolved surgically.
- Fourthly: not coming for a consultation can mean missing the best time for treatment – and with it the entitlement to free braces.
- Last but not least: the initial consultation is free of charge and without obligation.
How it works: three steps to free braces
- Book a free consultation Online or by phone at Zahnregulierung Eltz or Zahnregulierung Votiv. You do not need a referral – just your child's e-card.
- Consultation and assessment The orthodontist examines your child's teeth and jaw and determines whether there is a misalignment of IOTN grade 4 or 5. Only contract orthodontists may carry out this assessment without prior approval from the health insurance fund.
- Start of treatment If your child is eligible, the records are taken (digital 3D scan, photos, X-rays), a treatment plan is drawn up and the braces are fitted – completely free of charge for you, including all check-up appointments and the first retainer at the end of treatment.
History of free braces
With the agreement between the Main Association of Austrian Social Security Institutions and the Dental Chamber, the “Gratis-Zahnspange” (free braces) was decided in 2014 and introduced on 1 July 2015 – substantial financial relief for thousands of families in Austria. Since the regional health insurance funds were merged into the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK) in 2020, the rules have applied uniformly throughout Austria.
More precisely, free braces for children and teenagers up to the age of 18 provide for the following:
- Younger children with primary (milk) teeth or mixed dentition are treated with removable braces (interceptive treatment, usually starting before the 10th birthday).
- For children and teenagers with permanent teeth, the main treatment is carried out with fixed braces (metal brackets).
The prerequisite for free braces is an existing need for treatment, which is assessed using the international IOTN classification. In this context, a need exists at misalignment grades 4 or 5.
There is no need to worry in the case of milder misalignments of IOTN grades 1 to 3: here the health insurance fund continues to pay – subject to approval – a subsidy towards orthodontic treatment (currently €821.80 per year of treatment with the ÖGK, 2026 rate).
In total, around 80 million euros per year were budgeted for free braces. When the scheme was introduced, the Main Association expected around 22,500 children per year to receive braces, about 80 per cent of them treated by one of the roughly 180 Austrian contract orthodontists, with the remaining 20 per cent treated in outpatient clinics.
ORF report on free braces
Watch orthodontist Dr. Maija Eltz talking about free braces on the ZIB Magazin news programme on ORF 1.
Who gets free braces?
Free braces have been available in Austria since 1 July 2015. Every patient can take advantage of a free orthodontic consultation with a contract orthodontist up to their 18th birthday. The requirement for treatment at the expense of the health insurance fund is a misalignment of IOTN grade 4 or 5. You can find the exact requirements here:
Requirements
In brief: the most important questions
Are free braces really free of charge?
Yes – if your child meets the requirements (under 18, IOTN 4 or 5) and the treatment is carried out by a contract orthodontist such as Zahnregulierung Eltz or Zahnregulierung Votiv, there is no charge for the consultation, diagnostics, the braces with metal brackets, all check-up appointments or the first retainer. With a non-contract dentist (Wahlzahnarzt), on the other hand, the health insurance fund only reimburses 80 per cent of the contract rate – you pay the difference to the dentist's fee yourself.
From what age should I bring my child for a consultation?
A first check by the orthodontist makes sense from around 5 to 6 years of age. Severe jaw misalignments can be influenced particularly well with removable braces during the mixed dentition stage. Fixed braces are usually used from around 11 to 13 years, once all the permanent teeth have come through.
How quickly can I get an appointment?
Waiting times at the two Viennese contract institutes Zahnregulierung Eltz and Zahnregulierung Votiv are currently short – initial consultation appointments are available at short notice online or by phone.
What happens if my child does not meet the requirements?
Then your child does not have a severe misalignment – which is good news. If treatment is still advisable, the institutes will advise you on the options: the health insurance fund pays a subsidy subject to approval, many institutes offer interest-free instalment plans, and clear aligners can be chosen instead of silver brackets.
All frequently asked questions
Where can you get free braces and what should you look out for?
When choosing your orthodontic practice, check whether it is one of the few contract institutes for free braces – only then is the treatment guaranteed to be free of additional charges. In Vienna we recommend the two certified institutes Zahnregulierung Eltz and Zahnregulierung Votiv:
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