Of the group of dentate adults taking part in the Public Health insurance scheme, 78% has opted for a supplementary insurance for dental care after the dental health care reform on January 1, 1995. For edentulous people this figure is 33%. Both for people who choose for a supplementary insurance and for those who did not, financial motives were most important. For the dentates visiting a dentist regularly, the time period between two check-ups has grown from 6.0 months to 6.9 months. The extent to which check-ups are postponed is not different for people with or without a supplementary insurance for dental care.