Management of dental caries among children: a look at the cost-effectiveness
Nathalia de Miranda Ladewiga, Lucila Basto Camargoa, Tamara Kerber Tedescoa, Isabela Florianoa, Thaís Gimeneza, José Carlos Pettorossi Imparatoa, Fausto Medeiros Mendesa, Mariana Minatel Bragaa, Daniela Prócida Raggioa✉
- aDepartment of Paediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- ✉Corresponding author
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Dental caries is the most prevalent non-communicative disease worldwide. Although the etiological factors are well known for years, reducing the number of decayed and missing teeth in children still remains as a barrier. Preventive and curative options are numerous but little is known about their economical advantages. Selecting the intervention that offers the best balance of effectiveness and financial resources becomes crucial in the current situation of budget restrictions worldwide. AREAS COVERED: This expert review summarizes available evidence on cost-effectiveness analyses of preventive and curative measures to manage dental caries in children. EXPERT COMMENTARY: Preventive measures have been more extensively studied than dental caries treatment. Only water fluoridation and tooth brushing are well-established as cost-effective preventive approaches. Despite the increasing number of cost analysis treatment studies in the literature, most of them focus on the cost description, with no correlation to the intervention effectiveness. There is a current need of well-designed and well-reported cost-effectiveness regarding dental caries management.
TL;DRThis expert review summarizes available evidence on cost-effectiveness analyses of preventive and curative measures to manage dental caries in children and concludes that only water fluoridation and tooth brushing are well-established as cost-effective preventive approaches. (Semantic Scholar)