Table 2. Challenges and opportunities of financing dental care from patients’ perspective, and statements.

Challenges and opportunities from patients’ perspective			Statements
Challenges	Actual costs and estimation		You never know what it will cost in the end, at least not exactly. (group 1, #1) // My dentist said, he thinks, that we shouldn’t try dental crowns. Because it just costs a lot of money and you never know what will happen in five years, or how it feels after one year. (group 1, #1)
	Individual income		Unfortunately, I broke my bite splint. I haven’t worn it since then because I am a student. […] I haven’t done it yet because you must pay for it yourself. (group 1, #6) // I am currently in a part-time job, and I also have a severe disability. For me, the financial aspect matters a lot. (group 2, #2)
	Cost-benefit estimation		I would probably first ask my family if someone had any experience and then also search online and weight all options. (group 1, #6) // I was then given the choice “Okay, let’s do a plastic filling now, but you have to expect that it must be replaced after a few years. Or should we do a ceramic filling that would somehow cost a 500, 600€?”. And that would be ok, probably, because it would be more reasonable. But that’s a decent price tag. (group 3, #2)
Opportunities	Instruments of health insurance	“Bonus booklet”	Once a year, I have a dental check-up, and get it signed within my “Bonus booklet”. I can prove it since the 90ies, that I have done it. I really take care of it. (group 3, #9) // The “Bonus booklet” is very important for me, because then I am always up-to-date and get my stamp every year. If a denture really is on agenda, I try to keep my out-of-pocket payment as low as possible. (group 3, #8)
		“Bonus program”	When you have a lot of stamps, because you have visited a lot of different physicians, e.g., you got a vaccine, then you get money back. […] Of course, I run to my physicians and get my stamps. (group 2, #6)
	Further measures	Dental supplementary insurance	I pay only 50%, because implants cost an arm and a leg. (group 2, #5) // Then I took out a dental supplementary insurance, because it was extremely expensive for me […] those braces and stuff. Otherwise, you always must pay for these things. […] It can be considered as a subscription or something similar you monthly pay for […] and when you need a larger amount at some point you don’t have to pay it all at once. (group 4, #1)
		Second offer	I got a cost calculation from my dentist and they said that there is a website where you can enter data and dentists will get in touch with you and make an offer. And instead of 3,000€, different dentists offered 2,000€ and 1,000€. (group 2, #4) // What I have experienced via the website “Second dentist’s opinion” […], I got some offers for the same treatment […] with differences up to 2,000€. (group 4, #4)
		Installment	I wanted to have a fixed prosthesis and it was medically possible. And this dentist gave me, because that treatment was not covered by my health insurance, the opportunity to pay a defined amount every month. So, that was an arrangement between us, even though it was a lot of money. (group 3, #5)

(no. of interview group, participant #); // next statement.