A Public Health Perspective on Paying for Dentistry, the Affordable Care Act, and Looking to the Future

Health care costs have traditionally been provider generated whereas payment has been split between public and private sources. There has been little pressure on health care providers to demonstrate value. The quest for value in health care financing is now widely evident as demonstrated by governmental and private sector pursuits of a 3-part aim: better health outcomes at lower cost with improved patient and population experience. Value-based approaches involve payment innovation with its attendant constraints and opportunities for innovation. This contribution posits a growing role for dental public health by exploring interfaces with these forces within the contexts of US dental care financing.