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A crown breaks, a molar starts aching at night, the dentist in Faro recommends an implant. That is the moment many people who have moved to Portugal ask who is going to pay for it. Back home there was often a familiar answer: the state system, an employer plan or a dental insurance policy that reimbursed part of the bill.
Portugal works differently. The national health service pays for dental treatment through a voucher for specific groups, and the dental plans we examined for this guide do not reimburse bills the way many dental insurance policies abroad do. They give you access to a network of dental clinics at agreed prices.
An S1 form on its own does not get you such a voucher; what counts is whether you belong to one of the programme groups. The dental plans from Médis and Multicare are not reimbursement insurance either: you pay for implants and crowns yourself. The figures in this guide come from the insurers’ policy terms and price lists and from official sources, and each document is linked where it is used.
- The Portuguese national health service (SNS) pays for dental treatment through the cheque-dentista for specific groups, according to the health regulator ERS in particular children and young people up to 18, pregnant women, older people in financial hardship, people with HIV and patients at increased risk of oral cancer.
- Pensioners with an S1 form receive state healthcare in Portugal under Portuguese rules, not under the rules of the country that pays their pension.
- The Médis and Multicare dental plans are network plans: you go to a contracted clinic and pay a fixed co-payment or an agreed price there. Neither plan reimburses bills from any dentist you choose; depending on your policy, a dental module in your health insurance may do so.
- Médis Dental charges 3 EUR per visit for check-ups, cleaning, fillings, root canal treatment and extractions, according to its price list. Check-ups and extractions are unlimited; the other treatments have annual limits.
- Multicare Dental includes check-ups and cleaning with no co-payment, but only one filling a year. The insurer itself states that the product is not designed for expensive specialist treatment.
- You pay for implants and crowns yourself under both plans, at the network price. According to the price lists, an implant including the prosthetic part costs 1,150 EUR to 1,300 EUR, without bone grafting.
- Check which dental module your health insurance contains. Multicare has three: cost cover, network access only, or a dental plan. Which one is in your policy decides what you pay yourself for fillings, root canal treatment and dentures.
- Dental bills and premiums for pure health insurance are deductible for Portuguese income tax: 15 percent of them is deducted from the tax due, up to a deduction of 1,000 EUR per household and year.
What the SNS pays for at the dentist
The Portuguese national health service (SNS) pays for dental treatment for specific groups through the Programa Nacional de Promoção da Saúde Oral (PNPSO). If you do not belong to one of these groups, you are not entitled to the voucher and usually pay a private dentist yourself.
The cheque-dentista and who gets it
The programme’s main instrument is the cheque-dentista, a voucher you redeem at a private practice that takes part in the programme. According to the June 2026 study by the health regulator Entidade Reguladora da Saúde (ERS), the programme was initially aimed mainly at particularly vulnerable groups, “como crianças e jovens, grávidas e idosos em situação de carência económica”, that is children and young people, pregnant women and older people in financial hardship. All young people up to 18 were added later, regardless of the type of school, as were people with HIV and patients at increased risk of oral cancer. Most recently, the ERS says, the programme has also created the conditions for dentures; the summary does not say who is entitled to them (ERS, Sumário Executivo, June 2026).
For most English-speaking residents this means: an adult who is not in financial hardship, not pregnant, not living with HIV and not at increased risk of oral cancer does not belong to any of the groups the ERS names. The ERS lists them only as examples, though. Ask the competent office if you are unsure whether you qualify.
Dentistry at the health centre
Since 2016 the SNS has also been setting up its own dental surgeries in primary care health centres. The ERS describes the development as clearly positive, from fewer than 2,000 patients treated in 2016 to more than 50,000 in 2025. It also names the gap: at the end of 2025, 98 of 278 municipalities on the mainland did not have a single working dental surgery in primary care. The summary does not say who is treated there. The best way to find out whether your health centre (centro de saúde) offers dental treatment, and for whom, is to ask there directly.
Adults who do not belong to the programme groups are best advised to budget for the dentist in Portugal themselves and to ask their health centre what is available there.
Pensioners with an S1 form: what applies at the dentist
Pensioners who live in Portugal and whose healthcare is funded by another country through an S1 form receive state healthcare in Portugal under Portuguese rules. For pensions from EU countries, Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 provides that, if you have no entitlement of your own in Portugal, the benefits in kind are provided by the institution of the place of residence “as though the person concerned were entitled to a pension and benefits in kind under the legislation of that Member State” (Regulation (EC) No 883/2004, Article 24). For British pensioners, the UK government states that you may be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK if you are resident in Portugal and receive a UK State Pension or another exportable UK benefit (GOV.UK, Healthcare in Portugal, including Madeira).
For the dentist this means: what counts is the scope of benefits in Portugal, essentially the framework described above. The S1 does not bring your home country’s dental benefits to Portugal; what you can expect is what the SNS provides. Before any major treatment, ask the authority that issued your S1 in writing whether it contributes anything at all. How pensioners in Portugal can add private cover is explained in our guide to health insurance for retirees in Portugal.
Many people bring a dental policy with them. Whether it continues after you move abroad, and whether it reimburses bills from Portuguese dentists, depends on the terms of that policy. Ask your insurer to confirm this in writing before you cancel it or rely on it.
Is there dental insurance in Portugal?
The Médis and Multicare dental plans are not reimbursement insurance that pays back a percentage of your bills. They are network plans: you go to a clinic that has a contract with the insurer and pay either a small fixed co-payment or an agreed price there. Depending on the policy, a dental module in your health insurance may reimburse bills; more on that below.
Médis states this explicitly in its policy terms. The insured person pays “diretamente ao Prestador o montante do copagamento a seu cargo”, that is the co-payment directly to the clinic, and the insurer settles the rest directly with the clinic (Médis Dental, Condições Gerais, May 2022, Cláusula 3.ª). Multicare describes the target group of its plan in its September 2026 pre-contractual information more openly than one usually reads:
“Este seguro não se destina a pessoas que pretendam contratar um seguro com Capital disponível para Estomatologia e Medicina Dentária, com Prestações por Reembolso ou com atos especializados de maior custo ou complexidade.”
In English: the product is not intended for customers looking for a budget for dental treatment, reimbursement of bills or expensive specialist treatment (Multicare Dental, Informações Pré-Contratuais, September 2026, section B).
The two levels of both dental plans
Both plans have two levels, and that is exactly what decides what you end up paying:
Included treatmentco-payment
A closed list of treatments, mostly prevention and simple restorative work, with annual limits. For these you pay a small fixed co-payment or nothing.
Everything elsenetwork price
Anything not on the list, or beyond the annual limit, you pay yourself, but at the network’s agreed price. That is a negotiated price, not an insurance benefit.
How network prices compare with your previous dentist cannot be said in general terms, because private dentists’ prices vary from practice to practice. You may already know the principle from health insurance; we explain it in our article on negotiated rates in health insurance in Portugal.
Médis Dental and Multicare Dental compared
Médis Dental charges a co-payment of 3 EUR per visit and includes three fillings a year; Multicare Dental charges no co-payment but includes only one filling a year. Both work on the network principle; the comparison is based solely on the insurers’ documents linked here.
| Item | Médis Dental | Multicare Dental |
|---|---|---|
| Co-payment for included treatment | 3 EUR per visit | 0 EUR |
| Check-up | unlimited | unlimited, without treatment |
| Cleaning (destartarização) | once every 6 months | unlimited, with bicarbonate jet |
| Fillings | 3 per policy year | 1 per policy year |
| Root canal treatment | first session 1, follow-up sessions 2 per policy year | not included, network price |
| Extractions in adults | unlimited | not included, network price |
| Panoramic X-ray | 1 per policy year | 1 per policy year |
| Implant and orthodontic planning | 1 planning package each per year | 1 planning package each per year |
| Age limit | none according to the product page | none, neither at entry nor to remain covered |
| Cancellation | 30 days before the end of the policy year | 30 days before the end of the policy year |
Sources: Médis Dental, Tabela de Preços, July 2024, with the limits in the table of co-paid treatments; Médis policy terms, Cláusula 11.ª; Multicare pre-contractual information, sections B, C and F. The Médis age information comes from the product page, not from the policy terms.
Which plan suits whom
The differences produce two profiles. If you mainly go for regular cleaning and rarely need repairs, a plan without co-payment serves you well. If you expect several fillings a year or a root canal treatment is on the horizon, the broader list with a small co-payment pays off. The quote will tell you the monthly premium. The Médis product page mentions no waiting periods; with Multicare, any waiting periods are set out in the condições particulares, according to the pre-contractual information. Ask about them before you sign if treatment is already foreseeable.
According to its policy terms, Médis Dental is generally limited to Portuguese territory unless the special or individual conditions provide otherwise (Cláusula 7.ª). Multicare Dental applies exclusively within its own network. Treatment by your former dentist in your home country is not covered by either plan.
Implants and crowns: what Médis Dental and Multicare Dental do not pay
Implants, crowns, bridges and dentures are not on the list of included treatments at either Médis Dental or Multicare Dental. You pay for them yourself, at the network price. Each plan includes only a planning package with examination, models and X-rays, and Médis additionally a limited number of check-up appointments for ongoing orthodontic treatment.
Ask the network clinic for a written cost estimate before an implant. Médis explicitly describes its network prices as a reference that may change.
Dentures and implants are the treatments that really cost money. The two dental plans make them easier to plan, because you can ask the clinic for the network price in advance, but they do not pay for them.
If your children need braces, you will find prices and the role of the cheque-dentista for children in our article on the cost of braces in Portugal.
Dental cover in health insurance: three modules
Whether your Portuguese health insurance pays at the dentist depends on which dental module your policy contains. At Multicare, the current policy terms from September 2026 show three different modules that differ fundamentally in effect (Multicare, Condições Gerais 28, September 2026, Condições Especiais 010 to 012):
cost cover
Estomatologia e Medicina Dentária
The insurer pays for dental treatment up to an agreed amount, including dentures, but expressly not prostheses on implants. Depending on the policy, within the network or by reimbursement (reembolso).
network access
Acesso à Rede
You get access to the network and pay the full agreed price yourself, “suportando a Pessoa Segura a totalidade do respetivo custo”.
dental plan
Multicare Dental
The list of included treatments described above, everything else at the network price.
On paper, all three sound like “dental included”. Only the first module, however, pays for expensive treatment up to an agreed amount; the second merely gets you a price, and the third covers only the treatments on its list.
What even the cost-cover module excludes
Module 010 lists four exclusions of its own, in addition to the general exclusions in Cláusula 4.ª. According to it, the following are not covered:
- orthodontic appliances including impressions, planning, special X-rays and check-ups,
- treatment using precious metals,
- restoring teeth that were already missing or already fitted with a prosthesis when the contract began, in the original “Reabilitação de dentes em falta ou reabilitados com Prótese à data da celebração do contrato”,
- implants with all clinical and laboratory work, from bone grafting and placement to the crown on the implant.
If you switch to a new health insurance policy while a tooth is already missing, do not count on the new policy to pay for replacing it, and read the exclusions before you switch.
How to check your own policy
Other insurers may call the modules something different, but the questions stay the same. Check the condições particulares of your health insurance:
- Is there a dental module with its own amount (capital), or only network access?
- Is there a waiting period (período de carência) for dental treatment?
- Are dentures and implants included or expressly excluded?
- Is there an exclusion for teeth that were already missing when the contract began?
- Can you submit bills from a dentist outside the network, that is reembolso?
How benefit limits and deductibles work in Portuguese health insurance in general is explained in our overview of health insurance in Portugal.
What dental treatment costs in Portugal
A crown costs between 250 and 350 EUR in the Médis and Multicare networks, an implant including the prosthetic part 1,150 to 1,300 EUR. Private dentists’ prices vary from practice to practice; the insurers’ network prices provide guidance because they are published with a date. Médis expressly points out that its prices are “apenas uma referência” and may change at any time.
| Treatment | Network price Médis Dental (07/2024) | Network price Multicare Dental (09/2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning | 20.50 EUR | included |
| Filling, two surfaces | 25.00 EUR | 33 EUR |
| Root canal treatment | 36.00 EUR first session, 21.00 EUR per follow-up session | 85 EUR (tooth with one root canal, flat rate per tooth) |
| Metal-ceramic crown | 270.00 EUR | 250 EUR |
| All-ceramic crown | 350.00 EUR | 330 EUR |
| One implant, surgical part | 650.00 EUR | 590 EUR |
| One implant, prosthetic part (Médis “Fase Protética”, Multicare “Coroa pilar”) | 650.00 EUR | 560 EUR |
| Bone grafting for an implant (regeneração óssea) | 380.00 EUR | 250 EUR |
Sources: Médis Dental, Tabela de Preços, July 2024; Multicare Dental, Tabela de Preços Contratados, September 2026. The treatment descriptions in the two tables do not match on every point; compare the exact description in each case.
Example calculation: one year with a root canal and a crown
The assumption is two cleanings, two fillings of two surfaces each in one appointment, a root canal treatment on a tooth with one root canal in three sessions, followed by a metal-ceramic crown. At Multicare, the cleaning is the version with bicarbonate jet. All amounts according to the two linked price lists, excluding the premium.
| Item | with Médis Dental | with Multicare Dental |
|---|---|---|
| Two cleanings | 6.00 EUR (2 visits at 3 EUR) | 0.00 EUR |
| Two fillings in one appointment | 3.00 EUR (1 visit) | 33.00 EUR (first included, second at network price) |
| Root canal treatment, three sessions | 9.00 EUR (3 visits at 3 EUR) | 85.00 EUR |
| Metal-ceramic crown | 270.00 EUR | 250.00 EUR |
| Total | 288.00 EUR | 368.00 EUR |
The calculation shows the pattern, not a winner. The premium comes on top in each case.
At Médis, the co-payment applies per visit, according to the definition of copagamento in the policy terms (Cláusula 1.ª). Several included treatments in one appointment therefore cost you 3 EUR only once, as long as the annual limits are not exceeded. Beyond that, the clinic charges the network price, according to the footnote of the price list: “Valor cobrado ao cliente, por ato médico, nos atos não comparticipados no Seguro Médis Dental, ou após o cliente ter esgotado os limites indicados nas condições da apólice.”
Dental bills and Portuguese income tax
If you are liable to income tax in Portugal, you can claim dental bills in your Portuguese income tax return (IRS), as well as premiums for insurance that covers health risks only. Under Artigo 78.º-C of the Código do IRS, 15 percent of these expenses is deducted directly from the tax assessed; the deduction is capped at 1,000 EUR per household and year (Artigo 78.º-C CIRS, version of 1 July 2025).
The condition is an invoice that the issuer transmits to the tax authority; for it to be attributed to you, it must show your tax number (NIF). So ask the clinic for a fatura com NIF every time. You cannot additionally deduct what an insurer reimburses you. Whether the deduction makes a difference in your personal situation is a question for your tax adviser.
Portugal versus what many expats expect
The biggest difference at the dentist in Portugal is not the price of a treatment but who pays at all. The comparison sets what you may be used to, depending on your home country, against how the Portuguese system works.
What you may be used to
Dental cover works as it did at home
- The state system or an employer plan pays a share of routine treatment
- Dental insurance reimburses a percentage of the bill
- Any dentist can be chosen and the policy still pays
How Portugal actually works
Vouchers, networks and network prices
- The SNS pays for dental treatment through vouchers for specific groups
- Not every municipality has a dental surgery in a health centre yet
- Private dentists’ prices vary from practice to practice
- The Médis and Multicare dental plans work with network co-payments and network prices
- Plan benefits apply only in contracted clinics
- An S1 gives access to Portuguese state healthcare on Portuguese terms; it does not bring your home country’s benefits along
The Portuguese side is based on the ERS and insurer documents linked above, the S1 point on Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 and the GOV.UK guidance. How the rest of the Portuguese health system is organised for expats is explained on our page on health insurance in Portugal.
Six mistakes that make the dentist expensive
Six mistakes make dental treatment in Portugal unnecessarily expensive for expats, from a misunderstood dental plan to an invoice without a NIF.
Frequently asked questions
Answers to common questions from expats about the dentist in Portugal.
Does the Portuguese SNS pay for the dentist?
Through the cheque-dentista, the SNS pays for dental treatment for specific groups, according to the health regulator ERS in particular children and young people up to 18, pregnant women, older people in financial hardship, people with HIV and patients at increased risk of oral cancer. The ERS lists these groups as examples; if you belong to none of them, you are usually not entitled to the voucher. Ask your health centre whether it offers dental treatment.
What applies at the dentist for pensioners with an S1 form?
With an S1 form you receive state healthcare in Portugal under Portuguese rules, as if you were entitled under Portuguese legislation. The S1 does not bring your home country’s dental benefits to Portugal; before any major treatment, ask the authority that issued it in writing whether it contributes anything at all.
Is there dental insurance in Portugal that reimburses bills?
The Médis and Multicare dental plans work differently: you go to a contracted clinic and pay a small co-payment or nothing for included treatment, and the agreed network price for everything else. Neither plan reimburses a percentage of bills from any dentist. Depending on the policy, a dental module in your health insurance may provide reimbursement.
Does dental insurance in Portugal pay for implants?
In the Médis and Multicare dental plans only the planning is included; you pay for the implant itself at the network price. According to the price lists, an implant with its prosthetic part costs 1,150 EUR to 1,300 EUR there, without bone grafting. The Multicare module with cost cover also expressly excludes implants.
Is there an age limit for dental plans in Portugal?
According to the pre-contractual information, Multicare Dental has no age limit, neither at entry nor to remain covered. The Médis Dental product page does not mention an age limit either. For other products, check the pre-contractual information.
Is dental treatment included in my health insurance?
That depends on the module in your policy. There are modules with genuine cost cover up to an amount, pure network access where you pay the full price yourself, and dental plans. Check the condições particulares to see whether a separate amount for dental treatment is stated.
How much does a crown cost at the dentist in Portugal?
Private dentists’ prices vary from practice to practice. As a guide, the network price lists show 250 EUR at Multicare (September 2026) and 270 EUR at Médis (July 2024) for a metal-ceramic crown, and 330 EUR and 350 EUR respectively for an all-ceramic crown.
Can I deduct dental costs from my tax in Portugal?
Yes, if you are liable to income tax in Portugal. Under Artigo 78.º-C of the Código do IRS, 15 percent of health expenses is deducted from the tax due, up to a deduction of 1,000 EUR per household and year. The condition is an invoice showing your NIF tax number that is reported to the tax authority.
Can I cancel a dental plan at any time?
Médis Dental and Multicare Dental renew annually. Cancellation must reach the insurer at least 30 days before the end of the policy year, at Médis by registered letter or another method with written proof. Within the first 30 days after receiving the policy, you can withdraw from the contract in writing.
Our advice as an independent broker
A dental plan such as Médis Dental or Multicare Dental is worthwhile for people who go for regular cleaning and want to cover smaller repairs, and it makes major treatment easier to plan because you can ask the clinic for the network price in advance. It is not reimbursement insurance, though. If you expect dentures or implants in the next few years, you need savings or health insurance with a genuine dental budget, and you should know its exclusions before you sign.
As an independent insurance broker, we are not tied to any insurer. We go through the dental modules of your existing health insurance in Portugal with you, compare them with the plans on the market and tell you in plain English which gap remains. If there is a dispute over a bill, we speak to the Portuguese insurer on your behalf.
We check which dental module is in your policy and work out with you whether a dental plan pays off for your household. In English, with no obligation and independent of any insurer.
Phone: +351 289 392 452
C1 Broker, Av. Duarte Pacheco 13 R/C, 8135-104 Almancil, Quinta do Lago
Prefer to write? Use our contact page.
Last updated: 9 October 2026. This guide reflects the information available on that date and does not replace individual advice or tax advice. Benefits, prices and conditions may change. The information on Médis Dental is based on the Condições Gerais e Especiais (May 2022) and the Tabela de Preços (July 2024), the information on Multicare on the Informações Pré-Contratuais, the Condições Gerais 28 and the Tabela de Preços Contratados (each September 2026), all retrieved on 2 October 2026; EUR-Lex and GOV.UK retrieved on 9 October 2026. Network prices are snapshots of the tables named; Médis expressly describes its prices as reference values. Only the terms of your own policy apply to your contract. The information on S1 forms is based on Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 and the GOV.UK guidance on healthcare in Portugal; binding information is provided by the authority that issued your S1.
