[Costs and financing of oral healthcare in the Netherlands]

In the Netherlands, dental diseases are the third most expensive category of healthcare costs. The total cost of the consumption of oral care gives, however, no insight into the content of the care. Data from health insurers do provide such insight, but due to limitations in reimbursements the data from health insurers represent only part of all the costs of oral care. In this study an attempt was made, by means of an estimation, to gain insight into the total cost of oral care, financed both by basic and supplementary health insurance and by the patients themselves . This estimation was made at the level of UPT clusters and is based on data from the health insurers and a large factoring company for the years 2011, 2013 and 2014. Based on this estimate, one can conclude that on average between 21% and 32% of oral care consumption is financed privately. A complete picture of the costs of oral care is important in determining the contribution of oral care to public health. The structure of the current financial system, however, impedes transparency concerning oral care consumed.