Dental Instruments In Germany

How many dentists are there in Germany?

The number of practising dentists in Germany rose 3.8%, from 69,339 in 2014 to 71,983 in 2024 (Eurostat (dataset hlth_rs_prs2, Health personnel)).

At the end of 2024, there was on average one treating dentist for every 1,137 inhabitants in Germany (BZÄK).

In Germany, 43,663 dentists worked self-employed in their own practice (BZÄK).

On 31 December 2024, Germany had 3,910 specialist dentists in oral surgery and 3,825 specialist dentists in orthodontics (BZÄK).

See how Germany compares with Equate's other markets in dentists per 10,000 people across 21 countries.

What is the state of oral health in Germany?

In 2019, an estimated 29.1% of children aged 1–9 in Germany had untreated caries of the deciduous teeth (WHO).

In 2019, an estimated 31.7% of people aged 5 and over in Germany had untreated caries of the permanent teeth (WHO).

In 2019, the estimated prevalence of severe periodontal disease among people aged 15 and over in Germany was 27.4% (WHO).

In 2019, an estimated 11.7% of people aged 20 and over in Germany were edentulous (WHO).

In 2020, the incidence of lip and oral cavity cancer in Germany was 4.3 per 100,000 population (WHO).

What do dentists in Germany search for?

Search data for Germany alone isn't published; these are the instrument searches across the English-language markets Equate tracks (Europe and North America), in Google Keyword Planner bands, October 2025 to September 2026.

How are teeth numbered in Germany?

Dentists in Germany use the FDI two-digit system set out in ISO 3950, where 11 is the upper right central incisor and 48 the lower right third molar.

What do national dental surveys show in Germany?

• Sixth German Oral Health Study (DMS • 6) (Institut der Deutschen Zahnärzte (IDZ), 2025): The Sixth German Oral Health Study (DMS • 6) found that 77.6% of 12-year-olds in Germany were caries-free (IDZ).
• Sixth German Oral Health Study (DMS • 6) – periodontitis (Institut der Deutschen Zahnärzte (IDZ), 2025): According to DMS • 6, 52.7% of younger seniors (aged 65–74) in Germany had severe periodontitis (stage III/IV), as did 17.5% of younger adults aged 35–44 (IDZ).
• Sixth German Oral Health Study (DMS • 6) – MIH (Institut der Deutschen Zahnärzte (IDZ), 2025): DMS • 6 found molar-incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) in 15.3% of 12-year-olds in Germany, with 63.3% of cases classed as mild (IDZ).

How is dental care organised and paid for in Germany?

In Germany, statutory health insurance pays a fixed subsidy (Festzuschuss) of 60% of the standard-care cost for medically necessary dentures, rising to 70% with five years of documented check-ups and 75% after ten years (Federal Ministry of Health).

The KZBV is the public-law umbrella body of Germany's 17 regional associations of statutory health insurance dentists and represents nearly 63,000 dentists in statutory dental care (KZBV).

In 2021, the largest government health financing scheme covered 90% of Germany's population, according to the WHO oral health country profile (WHO).

How are dental instruments regulated in Germany?

Regulation (EU) 2017/745 on medical devices was adopted on 5 April 2017 and has applied in Germany and the rest of the EU since 26 May 2021, replacing the earlier directives (European Commission).

In Germany, proper reprocessing of medical devices is presumed under § 8(2) of the Medical Device Operator Ordinance (MPBetreibV) if the joint KRINKO/BfArM recommendation is followed (Robert Koch Institute).

The authority responsible for medical devices in Germany is Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte (BfArM).

What are the rules for cleaning and sterilising dental instruments in Germany?

Germany's joint KRINKO/BfArM recommendation on hygiene requirements for reprocessing medical devices was first published in 2001 and updated in 2012, with the current version listed as 2012/2024 (Robert Koch Institute).

Where can you study dentistry in Germany?

Germany has 30 dental schools listed here, in Aachen, Berlin, Bonn, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Erlangen, Frankfurt am Main, Freiburg im Breisgau, Giessen, Göttingen, Greifswald, Halle (Saale), Hamburg, Hanover, Heidelberg, Homburg, Jena, Kiel, Cologne, Leipzig, Mainz, Marburg, Munich, Münster, Regensburg, Rostock, Tübingen, Ulm, Witten and Würzburg.

Under § 2 of Germany's Licensing Regulations for Dentists (ZApprO), dental studies comprise 5,000 hours over five years, with a standard period of study of five years and six months.

What are the milestones in Germany's dental history?

• In 1756, the Berlin court dentist Philipp Pfaff published his textbook 'Abhandlung von den Zähnen des menschlichen Körpers und deren Krankheiten' and presented it to Frederick the Great (Wikipedia).
• Philipp Pfaff took impressions of the jaw in sealing wax and poured plaster into them to produce models for making dental prostheses (Wikipedia).
• The surgeon Bernhard von Langenbeck co-founded the German Society of Surgery in 1872 with Gustav Simon and Richard von Volkmann, and was its president until 1885 (Wikipedia).

Which dental instruments are named after people from Germany?

• Several surgical instruments are named after the Berlin surgeon Bernhard von Langenbeck (1810–1887), including a broad, long, blunt wound retractor with a right-angled blade (Wikipedia).

Which organisations represent dentists in Germany?

• Bundeszahnärztekammer (German Dental Association) (association)
• Kassenzahnärztliche Bundesvereinigung (KZBV) (association)
• Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte (BfArM) (regulator)

Which dental instruments does Equate supply to Germany?

Equate's instrument guides for Germany cover dental curettes, dental elevators and luxators, dental explorers, extraction forceps, mouth mirrors, surgical retractors, hand scalers, periodontal probes, restorative hand instruments, spoon excavators and tooth extraction instruments.

City guides: Aachen, Berlin, Bonn, Cologne, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Erlangen, Frankfurt am Main, Freiburg im Breisgau, Giessen, Göttingen, Greifswald, Halle (Saale), Hamburg, Hanover, Heidelberg, Homburg, Jena, Kiel, Leipzig, Mainz, Marburg, Münster, Munich, Regensburg, Rostock, Tübingen, Ulm, Witten and Würzburg.

Why do dental practices in Germany work with Equate?

• Direct from the manufacturer: practices in Germany order 3,375 instrument references without a distributor mark-up in between.
• Built to one specification across the range: passivated stainless steel, ultrasonically cleaned, shape-, boil- and performance-tested and individually packed.
• A named Regional Executive for DACH handles quotes, samples and volume pricing for private practices and university dental clinics in Germany.
• Clinics in Germany can request samples and a quote before committing to a full order.