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02 February 2024 | Country Update
Attempts to include dental care in the basic benefits package are unsuccessful yet again in the Netherlands
Dental care
Oral health care is provided in primary care by private dentists and dental hygienists. Most citizens register with a dentist. There were approximately 8580 dentists active in the Netherlands in 2015, providing on average one dentist per 2000 inhabitants. The exact number of practices is unknown, but was estimated in 2014 at 5100 practices, implying that most dentists work in small independent practices. Dental hygienists (3216 in 2013) are specialists in preventive care and can be visited directly or upon referral from the dentist. Preventive tasks and relatively simple dental care are increasingly being substituted to dental hygienists. Nine out of ten dentists regularly refer to a dental hygienist either in their own practice or in the practice of a colleague, or to an independent dental hygienist practice (KNMT, 2015; National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 2014a; Volksgezondheidenzorg.info, 2015).
In 2014 almost 78% of the population visited a dentist, on average 2.7 times (KNMT, 2015). For young people up to the age of 17, dental care is covered by basic health insurance. People aged 18 and above must pay themselves or can purchase complementary VHI for dental care.
In secondary care, there are two specialist medical professions: dental surgeons and orthodontists. Most dental surgeons work in hospitals, and most orthodontists work in ambulatory settings outside hospitals. In 2015 there were 269 dental surgeons and 315 orthodontists (KNMT, 2015). These specialists can be consulted with a referral from a GP or a dentist.
Care provided by dentists and dental hygienists for adults is not part of the basic benefits package. Most insurers offer special packages of VHI for this type of care, with a wide variation in compensations. Under the age of 18, this care is included in the basic benefits package. Care provided by dental surgeons is covered by the basic benefits package; care provided by orthodontists is not part of this package, but can be insured via VHI.
In the Netherlands, dental care for adults is not part of the basic benefits package. In the past, several attempts have been made by parties in parliament to reintroduce it without success. A recent attempt was again rejected by the majority in parliament on 30 January 2024. This would have included all dental care in the package or only the yearly screening. The expectation is that it will return on the agenda when the new government is formally in place. The majority in parliament had included the inclusion of dental care in the basic package in their electoral programmes.
Authors
References
KNMT. Lower house rejects motions for oral care in basic insurance [Tweede Kamer verwerpt moties voor mondzorg in de basisverzekering]. 31 January 2024, accessed 1 February 2024. https://knmt.nl/nieuws/tweede-kamer-verwerpt-moties-voor-mondzorg-in-de-basisverzekering
Tweede Kamer. Motion by members Dijk and Ergin on the inclusion of oral care in the in the basic package [Motie van de leden Dijk en Ergin over mondzorg opnemen in het basispakket], #36410-XVI-73, 25 January 2024,accessed 1 February 2024, https://www.tweedekamer.nl/kamerstukken/detail?id=2024Z01158&did=2024D02675