Study finds preventive programs cost-effective for U.K.

By Theresa Pablos, DrBicuspid.com assistant editor

October 13, 2015 -- The U.K.'s National Health Service (NHS) could save money by implementing programs to prevent tooth decay. A study found that supervised toothbrushing and fluoride varnish programs for high-risk children could save hundreds of pounds per child, compared with the current cost of treatment.

The study was led by Elizabeth (Liz) Kay, BDS, MPH, PhD, and evaluated whether public health programs to reduce caries for the most deprived quintile of children could make economic sense for the U.K. The research was presented at the British Society for Oral and Dental Research (BSODR) annual meeting in September. Professor Kay is foundation dean of the Plymouth University Peninsula School of Dentistry.

"If dentistry and, in particular, preventive programs [are] to compete in the health marketplace for resources, these types of studies are essential," Professor Kay said in an interview withDrBicuspid.com. "We cannot show the value of oral health, or maintenance of dental health through repair, unless we begin to measure their impact using the same currency by which the importance of other diseases is assessed."

Coming up with the numbers

Nearly 26,000 children between the ages of 5 and 9 were admitted to hospitals in England for dental treatment in 2013-2014, according to a January 2015report. In addition, the number of children being treated for largely preventable oral health diseases is rising.

To determine the cost-effectiveness of preventive oral health interventions for at-risk children, Professor Kay and additional researchers from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the York Health Economics Consortium developed an analytic model with five parameters:.......................