June 2019

Volume 36, Issue 2

What evidence do economic evaluations in dental care provide? A scoping review

Authors: J. Eow B. Duane A. Solaiman U. Hussain N. Lemasney R. Ang N. O’Kelly-Lynch G. Girgis L. Collazo B. Johnston
doi: 10.1922/CDH_4426Eow08

Abstract

Objective: To collate the body of evidence in economic studies of different dental interventions. Methods: Eligible English studies after 1980 were sourced from MEDLINE using MeSH terms and reviewed independently by 4 teams. Studies were grouped according to the type of dental intervention and their quality appraised using Drummond’s Checklist. Results: The number of dental economic studies increased from 1980 to 2016. A total of 91 studies were identifi ed following the search strategy. Most studies were conducted in the United States (n=23), followed by Germany (n=14), Australia (n=10) and the United Kingdom (n=9). Preventative dental interventions comprised 37% of included studies (n=34), followed by restorative (n=14), prosthodontic (n=13) and periodontal interventions (n=12). Cost effectiveness analyses (n=68) comprise 75% of full economic evaluation (EE) studies, followed by cost-utility (n=17) and cost-benefi t (n=6). Quality assessment checklists identifi ed 60 studies as good, 23 as moderate and 8 as poor. Common methodological limitations were identifi ed in EE studies. Comparison of studies identifi ed trends and common fi ndings within each dental intervention. Conclusion: High quality economic studies are important in directing resources and funding by policy makers. Standardisation of reporting outcome measures will improve the potential for interpretation and comparison between studies. Research adhering to recommended quality assessment checklists will improve the overall quality of evidence to better identify cost-effective treatments for different dental interventions. Keywords: Dentistry, oral health, dental economics, economic evaluation, cost-effectiveness analysis, cost-utility analysis, cost-benefi t analysis

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Other articles in this issue

Article Pages Access
Editorial - How soon is soon enough? The challenge of implementing behaviours conducive to good oral health in at-risk infants and toddlers 89-90 Download
Dental Public Health in Action - Patient and professional engagement in the procurement of dental services 91-94 Download
A qualitative study on the oral health of humanitarian migrants in Canada 95-100 Download
What influences use of dental services by the Korean disabled people? The role of perceived barriers in dental care system 101-105 Download
In-school toothbrushing programs in Aboriginal communities in New South Wales, Australia: A thematic analysis of teachers’ perspectives 106-110 Download
Relationship between Caregivers’ Oral Health Literacy and their Child’s Caries Experience 111-117 Download
What evidence do economic evaluations in dental care provide? A scoping review 118-125 Download
The Effectiveness of Reform in the Dental Health Systems of Transitional Countries: The Case of Montenegro Health Reform (pilot study) 126-130 Download
Costs of dental care and its financial impacts on patients in a population with low availability of services 131-136 Download
Identifying the barriers and facilitators for homeless people to achieve good oral health 137-142 Download
Comparison of two measures to determine the oral health-related quality of life in elders with periodontal disease 143-149 Download
Transnational corporations and oral health inequalities; an introduction 151-151 Download
Political economy, trade relations and health inequalities: lessons from general health 152-156 Download
Transnational corporations and oral health: examples from the sugar industry 157-162 Download
The Transnational Tobacco Industry and Oral Health 163-168 Download
Transnational corporations, oral health and human agency: a sociological perspective 169-174 Download

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