[Calculating dental fees--a 1988-1999 trend analysis]

German GOZ (Gebührenordnung für Zahnärzte, catalogue of dental services) allows multipliers within a range from 1.0 to 3.5 for each fee, and it also prescribes medical arguments if dentists want to justify multipliers beyond 2.3. The authors analyze formal and material developments in these medical arguments of more than 3500 invoices from 1988 to 1999. Since 1988--amendment of GOZ--a development can be seen away from more general and patient-focussed towards arguments dealing with new dental materials and new forms of dental treatment. The authors analyse the way dentists (private ones and dentists of health insurance system), orthodontists, maxillo-facial- and oral surgeons charge their fees.