Government Dental Care Subsidies in Sweden Fail to Lower Patient Costs, Benefit Dentists Instead

The Swedish government allocates around eight billion kronor annually to dental care subsidies aimed at reducing patient expenses. However, a recent review by Riksrevisionen reveals the funding has not achieved this goal. Instead, dental care providers have increased their prices, absorbing much of the subsidy and leaving patients to pay higher costs.

Since the dental subsidy’s introduction in 2008, there has been a clear correlation between higher state support and rising dental care prices. Patients are largely unaware of price differences—roughly 20% do not know prices vary between providers—and dentists seldom inform them about this. Moreover, there are no guidelines limiting how high dental prices can be, creating an environment with little price transparency or competition.

The review also raises concerns about treatment choices influenced by financial incentives. Specifically, there has been a marked increase over the past decade in procedures where teeth are extracted and replaced by implants, despite dental evidence suggesting retention and root canal treatments are preferable. This trend benefits dentists financially, as these procedures often yield higher reimbursements.

To address these issues, Riksrevisionen proposes two potential reforms: reducing government subsidies while increasing patient co-payments to stimulate competition among providers, or directly regulating dental prices. Both options carry risks, including the possibility that lower reimbursements may reduce access to dental care in some areas.

A critical conclusion of the review is the need to empower patients through better information access. Riksrevisionen recommends appointing a dedicated government authority to provide transparent data and support patients in comparing dental services and costs, thereby enhancing their ability to make informed decisions.

This comprehensive assessment highlights how Sweden’s well-intended dental subsidy scheme has inadvertently fostered higher prices and questionable treatment practices, emphasizing the urgent need for policy changes to truly benefit patients.