In 2012, The Netherlands established the so-called “free market experiment”, which allowed providers of dental care to set the prices for their dental services themselves. The introduction of market mechanisms is intended to improve the quality of care and to contribute to cost containment,...

Oral diseases are one of the most common diseases globally, yet maximizing health benefits from available resources continues to be a pivotal challenge. Similar to recall appointments in many other medical settings, dental check-up examinations are an essential element of regular treatment....

This chapter reviews the literature on payment schemes for government purchases of health services. It focuses on four themes: (1) the tension between obtaining appropriate quality of services and keeping the cost of those services at an acceptable level; (2) the role of cost sharing by the...