In Spain, the social security system covers some basic dental services. It is not much, but something exists. In Switzerland, the compulsory health insurance (LAMal) covers virtually nothing that happens in a dental practice. It is worth knowing this before sitting down in the chair.
LAMal only pays for dental treatments in three specific situations: when they result from a serious disease of the masticatory system, when they are necessary to treat another serious illness, or when the damage was caused by an accident and no other coverage applies. Outside these three exceptions, LAMal does not intervene. A cavity, an extraction, a cleaning, adult orthodontics, an implant, a crown: all of that comes directly out of your pocket.
Prices are in line with the country. A basic cleaning costs around 150-200 francs. An extraction can cost between 200 and 500. A full implant between 3,000 and 5,000 francs per unit. Adult orthodontics can exceed 10,000.
It is possible to take out a dental Zusatzversicherung (supplementary dental insurance), but it has its own rules: almost all insurers require a waiting period of several months before coverage begins, they have an annual limit (usually between 50 and 75% of costs, up to a ceiling of 1,000 to 3,000 francs per year) and do not cover treatments already underway when you take out the policy.
The practical advice: take it out when you arrive, before there are any problems. And go to the dentist regularly; here, prevention is much cheaper than treatment.