Dental health care, 2002

Total gross expenditure increased by 9.5 per cent, from 1.47 billion in 2001 to 1.61 billion in 2002. Total net expenditure on public dental health care has increased by more than 10 per cent, from 1.14 billion in 2001, to 1.26 billion in 2002.

Public spending on dental health care has been enlarged the last year. How are these expenses divided between the counties, and in relation to the number of inhabitants in each of them? By looking at the gross expenditure per inhabitant, we get some insight in the total amount of money each county spends on each of its inhabitants.

The composition of the population have an impact on dental health care costs

Gross expenditure per inhabitant is greater in the northern counties, compared to most of the other counties in Norway. Gross current expenditure per inhabitant may indicate that the counties give priority to public dental health care. The differences may also have a number of other causes, such as:the percentage of inhabitants under public health care. The public health care has responsibility for and gives priority to children between 1 and 18 years of age. In addition to children and youths, the public dental health care is offering dental health services to youths 19-20 years, mental retarded persons 20 years and older, elderly and sick persons in institutions and home nursing, and other groups specially decided by the county administrations. The size of these groups as a share of the total population will have an impact on the net expenditure per inhabitant in a given county. In some counties, the adult population also uses the public dental care, as the private opportunities are rather limited. Even though they pay, it may have an effect on the public spending. Finally, population density and costs as a consequence of low population density may have an impact on the counties dental health care costs.

Activity in 2002

The number of persons that are given priority increased by a modest 0.3 per cent, or 4000 persons, last year. That includes babies in their infancy, between one and two years old. The total number of prioritised persons in public dental care was 1 176 000in 2002. Of these, 1 011 000 persons were between one and eighteen years of age.

Tables:

• Table 1 Employees, public dental health care per 31 December. 2002
• Table 2 Man-years, public dental health care. 1992-2002
• Table 3 Man-years, private dental health care. 2002