title: Dental insurance: A systematic review.
abstract: To review uses of finance in dentistry. A search of 25 electronic databases and World Wide Web was conducted. Relevant journals were hand searched and further information was requested from authors. Inclusion criteria were a predefined hierarchy of evidence and objectives. Study validity was assessed with checklists. Two reviewers independently screened sources, extracted data, and assessed validity. Insurance has come of ages and has become the mainstay of payment in many developed countries. So much so that all the alternative forms of payment which originated as an alternative to fee for service now depend on insurance at one point or the other. Fee for service is still the major form of payment in many developing countries including India. It is preferred in many instances since the payment is made immediately.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Dentistry, Vyas Dental College, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: Bharath Kumar
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Garla
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Darshan Dental College and Hospital, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Satish
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Government Dental College and Research Institute, Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Divya
keywords: Dentistry; finance; insurance; payment