The Government and The Sweden Democrats presented on Wednesday a legislative proposal for a reform for cheaper dental care.
A first step in the reform is taken on 1 January 2026. This step includes everyone from 67 years and older. They will only need to pay ten percent for the most common treatments, such as filling or pulling a tooth or replacing the front teeth with implants.
This will make a big difference compared to today, says Minister for Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed (KD).
For example, if it costs 1,200 kronor to fill a cavity, the patient will only have to pay 120 kronor. The rest is paid for by the state.
Fixed price
Everyone who has ever needed dental care can imagine how urgent this is, says Forssmed.
You know that you should go to the dentist because you have a toothache, but at the same time you look at your account and see that the money is not enough, and you know that it will only get worse.
In order for private dentists not to take advantage of the situation and raise prices when the state pays 90 percent of the patient's costs, they will be required to follow the reference prices established each year for different treatments.
This means that they will have to take the reference prices for the treatments, but for them it also means that more people will demand dental care, says Forssmed.
The reform is expected to lead to a reduction in the average annual cost for elderly people's dental visits from 4,600 kronor to 1,900 kronor.
Linda Lindberg, The Sweden Democrats' group leader in the Riksdag, is pleased with the reform and notes that the high-cost protection for dental care is now more similar to what applies to healthcare.
No checks
Not all dental visits are included, such as recurring checks and examinations. For these, the current system with dental care benefits and high-cost protection will continue to apply.
The Government has already allocated 3.4 billion kronor per year to finance the reform. It is paid for, among other things, by the fact that free dental care for 19-23 year olds was abolished from this year.
The Government's plan is, however, that the new dental care reform will eventually be extended to more age groups.
For those who are younger than 67 years, the current high-cost protection and dental care benefits will continue to apply for the time being.
The Government is also looking into providing dentists in rural and sparsely populated areas with extra support in the future to ensure that access to dental care is good throughout Sweden.
