Incentives and remuneration systems in dental services.

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of an incentive-based remuneration system on number of individuals under supervision and on quality of public dental services in Norway. The basis for the study was a natural experiment in which all public dental officers in one county were given the opportunity to renegotiate their contract from a fixed salary contract to a combined per capita and fixed salary contract. Comprehensive data were collected before and after the change. A main finding is that the transition to an incentive-based remuneration system led to an increase in the number of individuals under supervision without either a fall in quality or a patient selection effect.