Dutch dental chain accused of serial overbilling

Jeremy Booth, Dental Tribune International

Thu. 26. February 2026

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ROSMALEN, Netherlands: Corporate dental chain Atlas Dental Care has been accused of systematically inflating patient invoices over a number of years, exposing what industry insiders describe as underlying vulnerabilities in corporate billing and insurance payments in oral healthcare. The allegations stem from an investigation by Dutch current affairs programme EenVandaag and are based on employee testimonies, internal documents and patient accounts.

As reported by English-language news outlet NL Times, EenVandaag collected treatment documentation and statements from current and former staff members and patients across nine of Atlas Dental Care’s 24 clinics. The programme found that staff were encouraged to add procedures and treatment time to patient bills despite these not being performed and that adjustments to patient invoices were routinely made by staff at the company’s headquarters in Rosmalen weeks after appointments had taken place.

NL Times published English translations of employee testimonies collected by EenVandaag. One dental assistant explained that recorded treatment times were regularly increased to match scheduled appointment lengths rather than the care actually delivered. She said: “If I worked for 20 minutes, I recorded 20 minutes. But that wasn’t allowed. If the agenda said 30 minutes, I had to declare 30 minutes. They literally said: ‘Then go polish a bit more to fill the time.’ ”

Another dental assistant described invoices issued for paediatric patients that exceeded the time spent treating the child and misrepresented the types of care provided. “A child I saw for only 10 minutes suddenly had 15 minutes of instruction, 15 minutes of guidance and 15 minutes of cleaning on the invoice,” the assistant said, explaining that when treatment times were strictly recorded, invoices were altered by staff at headquarters.

Patients also reported unexpected charges. One patient interviewed by EenVandaag said that she had received invoices for additional dental advice that she did not recall receiving. The programme reported that numerous 2024 invoices had been retrospectively padded in 2025. Atlas Dental Care described those changes as administrative corrections. However, internal emails reviewed by the current affairs programme reportedly indicated that the adjustments were intended to address financial shortfalls in the company’s budget.

The investigation also reported claims that dental radiographs were routinely taken of children regardless of clinical necessity and that dentures were sometimes billed prior to delivery. According to John Verkaik, a former dentist and retired fraud investigator at health insurer Zilveren Kruis, such practices, if confirmed, would be unlawful.

Atlas Dental Care has denied the allegations. The dental chain states that the 21 invoices in question were adjusted for administrative reasons.

Experts warn of systemic vulnerabilities

Verkaik told EenVandaag that the alleged fraudulent practices reflect broader vulnerabilities within the Dutch dental billing system. He said that during his work at the insurer, he and colleagues prevented approximately €10 million in improper claims. Verkaik described the detected irregularities as only a fraction of the overall problem, characterising them as “the tip of the iceberg”.

The allegations add to a broader debate in the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe about the rapid growth of corporate dental chains and the adequacy of regulatory oversight. Industry observers have increasingly raised concerns about whether scale-driven management structures may influence clinical autonomy, treatment planning and billing transparency. At the time of publication, it was unclear whether regulators had opened a formal investigation into Atlas Dental Care.

Since its founding in 2021, Atlas Dental Care has grown primarily across the Netherlands and expanded into Belgium. The company pursues growth by acquiring independent practices and integrating them into the larger corporate group. According to company information, the strategy emphasises retaining existing practice brands and clinical teams while centralising back office, administrative and financial functions.

Topics:

Practice Management

Tags:

Corporate dentistry Crime Dental business Dental chains Dental fraud Insurance payouts Netherlands Patient billing Practice management

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