Comparison of procedures performed and costs between an outsourced dental health plan with fee-for-service payment and an evidence-based, in-house dental health service with salaried professionals

Abstract

ABSTRACTIt was evaluated a dental care services provided to almost 4,000 users (employees and their families) of a company (Moinhos de Vento Hospital, Brazil). The analysis was divided into two periods of time: from January 2000 to December 2002, during which time the dental care provided to employees (and families) was outsourced to a dental plan which operates with an accredited network, and from March 2003 to June 2005, when the dental care was provided by an in-house dental care service with preventive and evidence-based dentistry guidelines. Economic data were collected, as well as the type and number of procedures performed.ConclusionsAn in-house service with evidence-based clinical protocols, as compared with an accredited network, decreased costs and also increased the number of procedures done, changed the profile of care for a less invasive dentistry and one more geared toward the causes of diseases, while still preserving the customers’ satisfaction.