Claxton L, Taylor M, Kay E
York Health Economics Consortium, Enterprise House, Innovation Way, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5NQ.
Plymouth University, Peninsula Dental School, John Bull Building, Tamar Science Park, Research Way, Plymouth, Devon, PL6 8BU.
Br Dent J. 2016 Feb 12;220(3):121-7. doi: 10.1038/sj.bdj.2016.94.
The effect of sugarfree gum (SFG) on the prevention of dental caries has been established for some time. With increased constraints placed on healthcare budgets, the importance of economic considerations in decision-making about oral health interventions has increased. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the potential cost savings in dental care associated with increased levels of SFG usage.
The analysis examined the amount of money which would hypothetically be saved if the UK 12-year-old population chewed more SFG. The number of sticks chewed per year and the caries risk reduction were modelled to create a dose response curve. The costs of tooth restoration, tooth extraction in primary care settings and under general anaesthetic were considered, and the effects of caries reduction on these costs calculated.
If all members of the UK 12-year-old population chewed SFG frequently (twice a day), the potential cost savings for the cohort over the course of one year were estimated to range from £1.2 to £3.3 million and if they chewed three times a day, £8.2 million could be saved each year. Sensitivity analyses of the key parameters demonstrated that cost savings would still be likely to be observed even in scenarios with less significant increases in SFG use.
This study shows that if levels of SFG usage in the teenage population in the UK could be increased, substantial cost savings might be achieved.
无糖口香糖（SFG）对预防龋齿的作用已经得到证实有一段时间了。随着医疗保健预算受到的限制增加，在口腔健康干预决策中考虑经济因素的重要性也随之提高。本研究的目的是证明随着SFG使用量的增加，在牙科护理方面可能节省的成本。
该分析研究了假设英国12岁人群咀嚼更多SFG时可能节省的资金数额。对每年咀嚼的口香糖棒数量和龋齿风险降低情况进行建模，以创建剂量反应曲线。考虑了牙齿修复、基层医疗环境下以及全身麻醉下拔牙的成本，并计算了龋齿减少对这些成本的影响。
如果英国所有12岁人群经常咀嚼SFG（每天两次），该队列在一年中的潜在成本节省估计在120万至330万英镑之间；如果他们每天咀嚼三次，每年可节省820万英镑。对关键参数的敏感性分析表明，即使在SFG使用量增加不太显著的情况下，仍可能观察到成本节省。
本研究表明，如果英国青少年人群中SFG的使用量能够增加，可能会实现大量的成本节省。
