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HEALTH

How much does going to the dentist cost in Norway? 

A trip to the dentist can be painful in more ways than one, especially for your bank account, so how much will it set you back in Norway and how do you get an appointment?

Published: 5 July 2021 16:31 CEST
Updated: 10 July 2021 15:42 CEST
How much does going to the dentist cost in Norway? 
Many dread a trip to the dentist. Photo by Yusuf Belek on Unsplash

Is dental work free in Norway?

Norway’s robust and comprehensive public healthcare system is accessible through the Norwegian National Health Insurance Scheme. Because it is so comprehensive, many make the assumption that all health issues, including dental problems, are covered by the scheme.  

Unfortunately, this isn’t the case as, generally, dental care is not covered by the public healthcare system. Instead, you will have to go to a private practitioner should you have an issue with your teeth or if it’s time for a checkup. 

If you’d like to learn more about what is covered by the National Health Insurance, you can look at our guide on how the scheme works and common problems foreigners run into here.

How much does it cost?

The bad news is that, much like most other things in Norway, a trip to the dentists will set you back a fair amount, and unlike the Norwegian National Health Insurance Scheme, there is no exemption card, or frikort, after you have paid a certain amount. 

READ MORE: Seven things foreigners in Norway should know about the health system

On the bright side, dental treatment is free for children under 18, and if you are aged between 19 and 20, you will only need to stump up 25 percent of the total bill. 

In most cases, everyone over the age of 21 will be expected to pay the whole bill, apart from a few exceptions, which you can read about here. 

The cost of dentistry can be reimbursed or subsidised if you meet any of the 15 conditions that will entitle you to claim support from The Norwegian Health Economics Administration or Helfo.

Helfo is responsible for making payments from the National Insurance Scheme to healthcare providers and reimbursing individuals for vital healthcare services not covered by the insurance scheme. 

The list of conditions includes essential work, such as having an oral tumour removed, for example. You can take a look at the 15 conditions for which you claim help from Helfo here.

You can also apply to the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) for financial assistance relating to dental work.

How much you are eligible to receive from NAV will depend entirely on your situation. 

Below you can take a look at the rough cost of some common dental work in Norway. 

  • Examination/appointment- 600 kroner 
  • Examination/appointment with tartar removal and x rays- 1,000 kroner 
  • Small filling- 900 kroner 
  • Medium sized filling 1,400- kroner 
  • Large filling- 1,500 kroner 
  • Tooth surgically removed- 2,000 kroner 
  • Root canal filling 3,800 kroner
  • Crown- 7,000 kroner

How to book an appointment

Booking an appointment in Norway is as simple as contacting your nearest dentist. Before you book, you can typically check the price list of the dentist you will be visiting to get a rough idea of how much the visit could cost you too. 

The majority of dentists in Norway will speak good English. You can also visit an entirely English speaking dentist surgery, where all the staff will speak English, in the big cities such as Oslo if you haven’t quite gotten to grips with Norwegian yet. 

You can search for a dentist using this tool which will show you your nearest dentist in the town, city or county you live in. 

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HEALTH

How to protect yourself against the risk of Lyme disease in Norway this summer

A record number of Lyme disease cases have already been recorded so far in Norway. You can minimise your risk of contracting the disease in a few different ways.

Published: 9 July 2024 11:47 CEST
How to protect yourself against the risk of Lyme disease in Norway this summer

Norway has seen a record number of Lyme borreliosis cases in 2024 despite there still being several months of the tick season left to go this year.

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health has reported 175 cases – 16 more than last year.

Untreated Lyme disease can result in a number of nasty symptoms, such as arthritis, severe headaches, facial palsy, and mental fogginess.

Lyme disease and ticks

Lyme disease is an illness transmitted to humans through the bite of infected ticks.

Ticks are found pretty much all over Norway from the south-east and along coastal areas all the way up to Bodø in the north. They are found in forests, meadows, and long grass and are active once the temperature is above 5C.

Typically, the season lasts from April to November across much of Norway. There are two main tick-borne diseases, Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE).

READ MORE: 

How to spot Lyme disease

Lyme disease begins with a tick bite. After spending time in an area where there could be ticks, then it is good to check yourself all over, or have someone else check you for ticks. It’s also a good idea to check your clothes for ticks.

If you have been bitten by a tick, the first symptom will be a bull’s eye rash. This will have the tick bite in the location you were bitten and then a rash around the outside of the bite. This rash will be warm to the touch.

This is the most common sign that you have been bitten by a tick, affecting around eight out of ten people.

Other early symptoms include chills, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, sore throat, vision changes, fatigue, muscle aches and headaches,

How to minimise the risk of ticks

There are a number of things you can do to prevent tick bites. The first thing you can do is to wear long-sleeved tops and trousers when you are going to be in areas with lots of bushes and long grass. This will mean there is less exposed skin for ticks to latch onto.

Ticks also like to latch onto thin-skinned places such as knees, groin, armpits and behind the ears, although they can be found elsewhere on the body.

Tucking your trousers into your socks will also help stop ticks from getting in between any gaps in clothing.

If you do have any exposed skin, you should consider using insect repellent. You can also spray socks and trouser legs with permethrin-containing insecticide.

Staying on clear well travelled paths when hiking and camping will also help to reduce the risk of a tick latching onto you, as they much prefer longer grass and bushes.

If picking berries or taking a break, then you should avoid sitting or kneeling directly on the ground. Those with long hair should wear it tied back.

Dog owners should also regularly check their pets for ticks, as they can latch onto dogs that like to head off trails.

What to do if you think you have been bitten by a tick

If the tick is visible, it is important to remove it as quickly as possible to reduce the risk of disease transmission. You can use tweezers or special tick removers to get rid of the tick. You should also grasp as close as possible to the skin to remove the tick.

Once the tick is removed, you will need to apply an antiseptic ointment to the skin. If you develop a red rash that expands to a diameter of more than 5 centimetres, then you should contact a doctor. The rash normally appears 3-30 days after a bite.

If you have been bitten by a tick and the doctor thinks it could be Lyme disease, then they will prescribe antibiotics to treat the early stages.

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