October the 20th, 2026 – There are changes to certain aspects of dentistry within the scope of the Croatian Health Insurance Fund, with white fillings being part of the shakeup.
Instead of the previous amalgam fillings, the installation of white fillings at the expense of the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO) has been announced, even when they aren’t going to be placed on the front teeth. Poslovni reports that amalgam fillings entered history on the 1st of July, unless a dentist assesses that such a filling is necessary due to the patient’s particular health needs. This measure was introduced in Croatia on the basis of an EU regulation.
dentists are still charging…
In practice, however, the matter is somewhat different: the use of a white filling still comes with a cost if the patient wants a white composite filling of the kind that, according to HZZO rules, they should receive free of charge on their front teeth. The dentist will most often not offer a choice, but will allegedly place a composite filling and then charge the patient for it. Anyone who wants a free white filling must request it, but must also inform themselves beforehand, because each of the materials used has its own characteristics. We received information that the free white filling visually completely differs from the tooth base and looks “like cement”.
These are glass-ionomer and hybrid glass-ionomer cements, which have good characteristics for replacing the former amalgam fillings, but cannot match composite white fillings. Research in European countries where these materials have been used for about 20 years shows that the disadvantages of glass-ionomers are more frequent chipping, limited resistance to abrasion and erosion, and strength below the values for composite. Persons who had such fillings installed had a higher rate of fractures and abrasions of the fillings than with composites, as well as colour deviations.
economic status and purchasing power in dental medicine
“The key problem is the fact that white fillings do not cover all the indications in which amalgam can be used,” emphasises Irma Šavorić, president of the Association of Contracted Doctors of Dental Medicine MODDUS HR. This means that the choice of material should not be only a matter of aesthetics but also of the concrete clinical situation.
“Indications are key, and problems usually arise when something is not in a specific indication,” Šavorić states. Patients, she says, as a rule do not come with a request for a particular type of filling, but make the decision in conversation with the dentist. In this, the patient’s economic status, i.e. purchasing power, can play a role, especially when there is a choice between a filling covered by insurance and one that requires additional payment. The fact that a certain material is more expensive does not automatically mean that it is more suitable for every situation, this doctor of dental medicine explains.
“Materials have different characteristics and limitations, so the choice should primarily depend on the indication,” she concludes. The price of 30 to 80 euros per tooth will be important for a considerable part of citizens when deciding between the two types of white filling.
the right to free composite fillings until you’re 18
The right to a free composite filling for all teeth, regardless of which tooth is involved, is now held in Croatia by children up to 18 years of age, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers. For all other citizens who do not want to pay extra for such fillings, the health insurance fund will, according to the announcement of the Ministry of Health, secure from 10 to 12 million euros annually.
The MODDUS HR Association was founded in order to clearly define issues related to materials, indications, financing and the position of dentists who work in different models of dental healthcare. From the HZZO they are requesting a correction of the financing model, warning that the existing model could lead to longer waiting times for patients and reduced availability of certain services.
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