Deliberative Improvement of Oral Care Quality: The Horizon Europe DELIVER Project

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER STATEMENT

The EU DELIVER project aims to enhance the quality of oral health care through codevelopment and coproduction of solutions together with citizens/patients, providers, and policymakers. The unique multicountry nature of the project will facilitate fast-track prototype development and testing of innovative QI approaches in select countries. Reflective learning regarding the transferability of findings between different countries and settings offers unique opportunities to drive progress toward context-specific implementation of innovative oral health care QI approaches. The collective knowledge gained from the 7 European countries involved in DELIVER can also generate knowhow for improving the quality of oral health care in other countries around the globe.

Prioritization, Incentives, and Resource Use for Sustainable Dentistry: The EU PRUDENT Project

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER STATEMENT

The EU PRUDENT project aims to enhance the financing of oral health systems through novel evidence and implementation of better financing solutions together with citizens, patients, providers, and policy makers. The multicountry nature of the project offers unique windows of opportunity for rapid learning and improving within and across various contexts. PRUDENT is anticipated to strengthen capacities for better oral care financing in the EU and worldwide.

Global age-sex-specific mortality, life expectancy, and population estimates in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1950-2021, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BACKGROUND

Estimates of demographic metrics are crucial to assess levels and trends of population health outcomes. The profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on populations worldwide has underscored the need for timely estimates to understand this unprecedented event within the context of long-term population health trends. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 provides new demographic estimates for 204 countries and territories and 811 additional subnational locations from 1950 to 2021, with a particular emphasis on changes in mortality and life expectancy that occurred during the 2020-21 COVID-19 pandemic period.

METHODS

22 223 data sources from vital registration, sample registration, surveys, censuses, and other sources were used to estimate mortality, with a subset of these sources used exclusively to estimate excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2026 data sources were used for population estimation. Additional sources were used to estimate migration; the effects of the HIV epidemic; and demographic discontinuities due to conflicts, famines, natural disasters, and pandemics, which are used as inputs for estimating mortality and population. Spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression (ST-GPR) was used to generate under-5 mortality rates, which synthesised 30 763 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 1365 surveys and censuses, and 80 other sources. ST-GPR was also used to estimate adult mortality (between ages 15 and 59 years) based on information from 31 642 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 355 surveys and censuses, and 24 other sources. Estimates of child and adult mortality rates were then used to generate life tables with a relational model life table system. For countries with large HIV epidemics, life tables were adjusted using independent estimates of HIV-specific mortality generated via an epidemiological analysis of HIV prevalence surveys, antenatal clinic serosurveillance, and other data sources. Excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 was determined by subtracting observed all-cause mortality (adjusted for late registration and mortality anomalies) from the mortality expected in the absence of the pandemic. Expected mortality was calculated based on historical trends using an ensemble of models. In location-years where all-cause mortality data were unavailable, we estimated excess mortality rates using a regression model with covariates pertaining to the pandemic. Population size was computed using a Bayesian hierarchical cohort component model. Life expectancy was calculated using age-specific mortality rates and standard demographic methods. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were calculated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered values from a 1000-draw posterior distribution.

FINDINGS

Global all-cause mortality followed two distinct patterns over the study period: age-standardised mortality rates declined between 1950 and 2019 (a 62·8% [95% UI 60·5-65·1] decline), and increased during the COVID-19 pandemic period (2020-21; 5·1% [0·9-9·6] increase). In contrast with the overall reverse in mortality trends during the pandemic period, child mortality continued to decline, with 4·66 million (3·98-5·50) global deaths in children younger than 5 years in 2021 compared with 5·21 million (4·50-6·01) in 2019. An estimated 131 million (126-137) people died globally from all causes in 2020 and 2021 combined, of which 15·9 million (14·7-17·2) were due to the COVID-19 pandemic (measured by excess mortality, which includes deaths directly due to SARS-CoV-2 infection and those indirectly due to other social, economic, or behavioural changes associated with the pandemic). Excess mortality rates exceeded 150 deaths per 100 000 population during at least one year of the pandemic in 80 countries and territories, whereas 20 nations had a negative excess mortality rate in 2020 or 2021, indicating that all-cause mortality in these countries was lower during the pandemic than expected based on historical trends. Between 1950 and 2021, global life expectancy at birth increased by 22·7 years (20·8-24·8), from 49·0 years (46·7-51·3) to 71·7 years (70·9-72·5). Global life expectancy at birth declined by 1·6 years (1·0-2·2) between 2019 and 2021, reversing historical trends. An increase in life expectancy was only observed in 32 (15·7%) of 204 countries and territories between 2019 and 2021. The global population reached 7·89 billion (7·67-8·13) people in 2021, by which time 56 of 204 countries and territories had peaked and subsequently populations have declined. The largest proportion of population growth between 2020 and 2021 was in sub-Saharan Africa (39·5% [28·4-52·7]) and south Asia (26·3% [9·0-44·7]). From 2000 to 2021, the ratio of the population aged 65 years and older to the population aged younger than 15 years increased in 188 (92·2%) of 204 nations.

INTERPRETATION

Global adult mortality rates markedly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, reversing past decreasing trends, while child mortality rates continued to decline, albeit more slowly than in earlier years. Although COVID-19 had a substantial impact on many demographic indicators during the first 2 years of the pandemic, overall global health progress over the 72 years evaluated has been profound, with considerable improvements in mortality and life expectancy. Additionally, we observed a deceleration of global population growth since 2017, despite steady or increasing growth in lower-income countries, combined with a continued global shift of population age structures towards older ages. These demographic changes will likely present future challenges to health systems, economies, and societies. The comprehensive demographic estimates reported here will enable researchers, policy makers, health practitioners, and other key stakeholders to better understand and address the profound changes that have occurred in the global health landscape following the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, and longer-term trends beyond the pandemic.

FUNDING

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Effect of retirement on self-rated oral health and dental services use: longitudinal fixed-effects instrumental variable study in 31 countries

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the effect of retirement on self-rated oral health and dental services use.

METHODS

Covering 31 countries, we used harmonized panel data from the English Longitudinal Study on Aging (ELSA), Health and Retirement Study (HRS), and the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Data comprised 485 085 observations from 112 240 individuals aged ≥50 years. Official and early retirement ages were leveraged as instruments in a fixed-effects instrumental variable approach.

RESULTS

We found that retirement exhibited a negative effect on self-rated oral health (β = -0.37; 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.44- -0.30) and a positive effect on the propensity to seek dental care (β = 0.56; 95% CI 0.53-0.60). Male retirees showed a stronger decrease in self-rated oral health and increase in dental services use than female retirees. Participants who previously worked in a physically demanding job showed a stronger effect on self-rated oral health. Conversely, participants without a physically demanding job in the past exhibited a stronger retirement effect on dental service use. Compared with other health system clusters, retirement effects on dental services use were stronger in three health system clusters: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, and Sweden; Israel; and the United States.

CONCLUSIONS

Using a quasi-experimental design, we found that transition to retirement lowers self-rated oral health and increases the use of dental services. Retirement effects appeared heterogeneous across sexes, type of previous labor, and health systems.

A mixed methods evaluation of the effectiveness of an oral health training program for disability care workers in Burkina Faso

BACKGROUND

While efforts to improve the oral health of vulnerable populations have received little attention in general, the situation of children with disabilities in low- income countries (LICs) remains especially challenging. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of an oral health training provided to disability care workers in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso thereby contributing to closing the knowledge gap in disability research in relation to oral health in LICs.

METHODS

This was a single-arm pre-post study following an embedded mixed methods design using the New World Kirkpatrick training effectiveness evaluation model. For the purposes of this study, three levels of the Kirkpatrick (KP) evaluation were considered: reaction, learning and behaviour.

RESULTS

A total of 44 care workers from 6 disability centres participated in the study. Care worker post-training scores (Md = 17) were significantly higher compared to pre-training scores (Md = 13) [Wilcoxon signed-ranks test: Z= -5.53, p < .001, r = .59.] The median value for care worker confidence in applying training material in their everyday job was 7 out of 10 points (IQR = 3). At the 1-month training follow-up, 3 centres had implemented daily toothbrushing for people with disabilities.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that tailored training led to an increase in care worker confidence and motivation to implement oral health activities, in knowledge about oral health and a partial implementation uptake of daily toothbrushing in disability centres. Further long-term evaluations with dental care provision in rural and urban settings are needed to lower the high oral disease burden of people with disabilities in Burkina Faso.

Modelling a Consultant Workforce for the United Kingdom: needs-based planning for Dental Public Health

OBJECTIVE

To develop a needs-based workforce planning model to explore specialist workforce capacity and capability for the effective, efficient, and safe provision of services in the United Kingdom (UK); and test the model using Dental Public Health (DPH).

BASIC RESEARCH DESIGN

Data from a national workforce survey, national audit, and specialty workshops in 2020 and 2021 set the parameters for a safe effective DPH workforce. A working group drawing on external expertise, developed a conceptual workforce model which informed the mathematical modelling, taking a Markovian approach. The latter enabled the consideration of possible scenarios relating to workforce development. It involved exploration of capacity within each career stage in DPH across a time horizon of 15 years. Workforce capacity requirements were calculated, informed by past principles.

RESULTS

Currently an estimated 100 whole time equivalent (WTE) specialists are required to provide a realistic basic capacity nationally for DPH across the UK given the range of organisations, population growth, complexity and diversity of specialty roles. In February 2022 the specialty had 53.55 WTE academic/service consultants, thus a significant gap. The modelling evidence suggests a reduction in DPH specialist capacity towards a steady state in line with the current rate of training, recruitment and retention. The scenario involving increasing training numbers and drawing on other sources of public health trained dentists whilst retaining expertise within DPH has the potential to build workforce capacity.

CONCLUSIONS

Current capacity is below basic requirements and approaching 'steady state'. Retention and innovative capacity building are required to secure and safeguard the provision of specialist DPH services to meet the needs of the UK health and care systems.

Evidence-Informed Oral Health Policy Making: Opportunities and Challenges

Despite a clear need for improvement in oral health systems, progress in oral health systems transformation has been slow. Substantial gaps persist in leveraging evidence and stakeholder values for collective problem solving. To truly enable evidence-informed oral health policy making, substantial "know-how" and "know-do" gaps still need to be overcome. However, there is a unique opportunity for the oral health community to learn and evolve from previous successes and failures in evidence-informed health policy making. As stated by the Global Commission on Evidence to Address Societal Challenges, COVID-19 has created a once-in-a-generation focus on evidence, which has fast-tracked collaboration among decision makers, researchers, and evidence intermediaries. In addition, this has led to a growing recognition of the need to formalize and strengthen evidence-support systems. This article provides an overview of recent advancements in evidence-informed health policy making, including normative goals and a health systems taxonomy, the role of evidence-support and evidence-implementation systems to improve context-specific decision-making processes, the evolution of learning health systems, and the important role of citizen deliberations. The article also highlights opportunities for evidence-informed policy making to drive change in oral health systems. All in all, strengthening capacities for evidence-informed health policy making is critical to enable and enact improvements in oral health systems.

Evaluation of a Digital Decision Support System to Integrate Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Periodontitis Care: Case-Vignette Study in Simulated Environments

BACKGROUND

As highlighted by the recent World Health Organization Oral Health Resolution, there is an urgent need to better integrate primary and oral health care. Despite evidence and guidelines substantiating the relevance of integrating type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and periodontitis care, the fragmentation of primary and oral health care persists.

OBJECTIVE

This paper reports on the evaluation of a prototype digital decision support system (DSS) that was developed to enhance the integration of T2DM and periodontitis care.

METHODS

The effects of the prototype DSS were assessed in web-based simulated environments, using 2 different sets of case vignettes in combination with evaluation surveys among 202 general dental practitioners (GDPs) and 206 general practitioners (GPs). Each participant evaluated 3 vignettes, one of which, chosen at random, was assisted by the DSS. Logistic regression analyses were conducted at the participant and case levels.

RESULTS

Under DSS assistance, GPs had 8.3 (95% CI 4.32-16.03) times higher odds of recommending a GDP visit. There was no significant impact of DSS assistance on GP advice about common risk factors for T2DM and periodontal disease. GDPs had 4.3 (95% CI 2.08-9.04) times higher odds of recommending a GP visit, 1.6 (95% CI 1.03-2.33) times higher odds of giving advice on disease correlations, and 3.2 (95% CI 1.63-6.35) times higher odds of asking patients about their glycated hemoglobin value.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study provide a proof of concept for a digital DSS to integrate T2DM and periodontal care. Future updating and testing is warranted to continuously enhance the functionalities of the DSS in terms of interoperability with various types of data sources and diagnostic devices; incorporation of other (oral) health dimensions; application in various settings, including via telemedicine; and further customization of end-user interfaces.

The Global, Regional, and National Burden of Adult Lip, Oral, and Pharyngeal Cancer in 204 Countries and Territories: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Importance

Lip, oral, and pharyngeal cancers are important contributors to cancer burden worldwide, and a comprehensive evaluation of their burden globally, regionally, and nationally is crucial for effective policy planning.

Objective

To analyze the total and risk-attributable burden of lip and oral cavity cancer (LOC) and other pharyngeal cancer (OPC) for 204 countries and territories and by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) using 2019 Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors (GBD) Study estimates.

Evidence Review

The incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) due to LOC and OPC from 1990 to 2019 were estimated using GBD 2019 methods. The GBD 2019 comparative risk assessment framework was used to estimate the proportion of deaths and DALYs for LOC and OPC attributable to smoking, tobacco, and alcohol consumption in 2019.

Findings

In 2019, 370 000 (95% uncertainty interval [UI], 338 000-401 000) cases and 199 000 (95% UI, 181 000-217 000) deaths for LOC and 167 000 (95% UI, 153 000-180 000) cases and 114 000 (95% UI, 103 000-126 000) deaths for OPC were estimated to occur globally, contributing 5.5 million (95% UI, 5.0-6.0 million) and 3.2 million (95% UI, 2.9-3.6 million) DALYs, respectively. From 1990 to 2019, low-middle and low SDI regions consistently showed the highest age-standardized mortality rates due to LOC and OPC, while the high SDI strata exhibited age-standardized incidence rates decreasing for LOC and increasing for OPC. Globally in 2019, smoking had the greatest contribution to risk-attributable OPC deaths for both sexes (55.8% [95% UI, 49.2%-62.0%] of all OPC deaths in male individuals and 17.4% [95% UI, 13.8%-21.2%] of all OPC deaths in female individuals). Smoking and alcohol both contributed to substantial LOC deaths globally among male individuals (42.3% [95% UI, 35.2%-48.6%] and 40.2% [95% UI, 33.3%-46.8%] of all risk-attributable cancer deaths, respectively), while chewing tobacco contributed to the greatest attributable LOC deaths among female individuals (27.6% [95% UI, 21.5%-33.8%]), driven by high risk-attributable burden in South and Southeast Asia.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this systematic analysis, disparities in LOC and OPC burden existed across the SDI spectrum, and a considerable percentage of burden was attributable to tobacco and alcohol use. These estimates can contribute to an understanding of the distribution and disparities in LOC and OPC burden globally and support cancer control planning efforts.

Do Norwegian private dental practitioners with too few patients compensate for their loss of income by providing more services or by raising their fees?

OBJECTIVE

In Norway, supply of dental services exceeds demand, mainly because of the marked improvement in dental health during the last few decades. The aim of the study was to investigate whether private dental practitioners counteract a fall in demand for their services by providing more services or by raising their fees.

METHODS

The data were collected using a questionnaire that was sent to all private dental practitioners in Norway. Altogether 1237 practitioners responded, which gave a response rate of 56%. Our sample was representative of the population of practitioners in Norway. As a measure of patient supply, responses from the following questions were used: 'Based on an overall assessment of economy, workload and other personal factors, is the number of regular patients adequate? If not, do you wish to have more patients, or fewer patients?' The outcome variables were dental fees, length of recall interval and mean cost per visit. The data were analysed using ordinary least square regression and a linear probability model. The following characteristics of the private dental practitioners were included as control variables: age, gender, work experience in years and whether they worked in a solo practice. To test the robustness of the findings, a supplementary analysis with the patient as the unit of analysis was carried out, using survey data of Norwegians aged 20 years and older. Based on this survey, the relationship between population: dentist ratio and mean cost per dental visit were examined.

RESULTS

Nearly 40% of all practitioners reported that they had too few patients. They compensated for their loss of income by raising their fees, by recalling their patients more often and by increasing the cost per visit. The finding in the supplementary analysis using survey data from patients was similar to the findings in the main analyses using survey data from private dental practitioners.

CONCLUSION

The findings show that practitioners have market power. They were able to counteract a fall in demand for their services by providing more services and by raising their fees. The dental profession should be encouraged to provide appropriate services, in the present situation where supply exceeds demand.

Effect of sugar-sweetened beverage taxation on sugars intake and dental caries: an umbrella review of a global perspective

BACKGROUND

As part of the Global Strategy on Oral health, the World Health Organization (WHO) is exploring cost-effective interventions for oral health, including taxation on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). To inform this process, this umbrella review aimed to identify the best available estimates pertaining to the impact of SSB taxation on the reduction of sugars intake, and the sugars-caries dose-response, such that estimates of the impact of SSB taxation on averting dental caries in both high (HIC) and low and middle (LMIC) countries be available.

METHODS

The questions addressed were: (1) what are the effects of SSB taxation on consumption of SSBs and (2) sugars? (3) What is the effect on caries of decreasing sugars? and (4) what is the likely impact of a 20% volumetric SSB tax on the number of active caries prevented over 10 years? Data sources included PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, Dentistry and Oral Sciences Source, Cochrane Library, Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Systematic Review Register, and PROSPERO. The review was conducted with reference to JBI guidelines. The quality of included systematic reviews was assessed using AMSTAR to identify best evidence.

RESULTS

From 419 systematic reviews identified for questions 1 & 2, and 103 for question 3, 48 (Questions 1 & 2) and 21 (Question 3) underwent full text screening, yielding 14 and five included reviews respectively. Best available data indicated a 10% tax would reduce SSB intake by 10.0% (95% CI: -5.0, 14.7%) in HIC and by 9% (range -6.0 to 12.0%) in LMIC, and that a 20% tax would reduce free sugars intake on average by 4.0 g/d in LMIC and 4.4 g/d in HIC. Based on best available dose response data, this could reduce the number of teeth with caries per adults (HIC and LMIC) by 0.03 and caries occurrence in children by 2.7% (LMIC) and 2.9% (HIC), over a 10-year period.

CONCLUSION

Best available data suggest a 20% volumetric SSB tax would have a modest impact on prevalence and severity of dental caries in both HIC and LMIC.

Effect of Socioeconomic Status on Teeth and Dental Care - Evidence from a Population-based Study in Indonesia

PURPOSE

Education is well-known as a determinant of oral health and dental behaviours in high-income countries, but much less is known for countries with lower incomes. This study aimed to identify the extent to which education affects oral health and dental behaviours in Indonesia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study used data from the Indonesian Basic Health Survey 2013. From this nationally representative sample of 945,057 people 5-100 years old, a series of mixed-effects Poisson regression models that accounted for sampling weights estimated the effect of educational attainment on edentulism, dental care utilisation, and toothbrushing behaviour.

RESULTS

Consistent educational gradients were found for all outcomes and across all model specifications. People without a formal educational degree had a 1.03 (95% CI: 1.03-1.04) times higher risk of not utilising any dental care, a 3.15 (95% CI: 2.47-4.02) times higher risk of being edentulous, and a 15.6 (95% CI: 12.76-19.02) times higher risk of having low toothbrushing frequency than people having a university degree or higher.

CONCLUSIONS

Stark and consistent educational gradients were observed in the dentate status, dental services utilisation, and toothbrushing in Indonesia. Educational inequalities were much larger for toothbrushing behaviours than for dental care utilisation. Intervention points for health policy should urgently prioritise public health interventions to promote overall educational attainment, preventive services, and dental care targeted at those with lower educational attainment.

What do we know about uncommon complications associated with third molar extractions? A scoping review of case reports and case series

The current study aimed to explore the types and frequencies of uncommon complications associated with third molar extractions based on a scoping review of case reports and case series. The study used an electronic literature search based on PubMed and Embase up to March 31, 2020, with an update performed on October 22, 2021. Any case reports and case series that reported complications associated with third molar extractions were included. The types of complications were grouped and the main symptoms of each type of complication were summarized. A total of 51 types of uncommon complications were identified in 248 patients from 186 studies. Most types of complications were post-operative. In the craniofacial and cervical regions, the most frequent complications included iatrogenic displacement of the molars or root fragments in the craniofacial area, late mandibular fracture, and subcutaneous emphysema. In other regions, the most frequent complications include pneumomediastinum, pneumorrhachis, pneumothorax, and pneumopericardium. Of the patients, 37 patients had life-threatening uncommon complications and 20 patients had long-term/irreversible uncommon complications associated with third molar extractions. In conclusion, a variety of uncommon complications associated with third molar extractions were identified. Most complications occurred in the craniofacial and cervical regions and were mild and transient.

Causal Effect of Tooth Loss on Cardiovascular Diseases

Many studies suggest associations between oral health and cardiovascular diseases, but there is a lack of causal evidence. Exploiting exogenous variation in tooth loss in US adults due to differential childhood exposure to fluoridated water, this study investigated the causal effect of tooth loss on cardiovascular diseases. A total of 722,519 participants in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) waves 2006, 2008, or 2010 (birth years 1940-1978) were included in the analytical sample. To identify the effect of tooth loss on having a history of coronary heart disease (CHD) or stroke, instrumental variable analysis exploited childhood exposure to drinking water fluoride as an instrument. The weighted prevalence of CHD and stroke histories was 5.1% and 2.1%, respectively. First-stage regression indicated that childhood exposure to drinking water fluoride was a strong instrument for the number of lost teeth in adulthood (coefficient -0.61; 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.80, -0.41; F = 37.47). The probability of CHD was significantly higher by 1.04 percentage points (95% CI 0.57, 1.50) per lost tooth. The effect of tooth loss on stroke was significant only for people aged ≥60 y (coefficient 0.93 percentage points; 95% CI 0.14, 1.71). These findings are supportive of a causal effect of tooth loss on cardiovascular diseases among US adults, particularly in older age.

OPERATIONALIZING ORAL HEALTH OUTCOME MEASURES TO IMPROVE THE ORAL HEALTH OF PERSONS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES

Individuals with intellectual disability (ID) face significant challenges in preventing oral diseases. They also lack access to high-quality oral health care in professional settings. To understand the effects of oral conditions on their lives and health, it is necessary to assess their oral health outcome measures. For those with mild ID, who possess adequate linguistic and cognitive abilities, accessibility features should be incorporated in the dental patient reported outcome (dPRO) measures. But many other individuals often lack the linguistic and cognitive ability to self-report through dPRO measures. While self-reported measures are preferable, requiring dPROs in this population would result in a high amount of missing data and the inability to assess interventions for improving their dental health. Thus, there is a need to use proxy-reported outcome (ProxRO) measures, observer reported outcome (ObsRO) measures, and clinician reported outcome (ClinRO) measures among those with ID. This is also a common approach taken by other specialties that work closely with those with ID, where the measures for activities of daily living and adaptive behavior measures use reporting by caregivers. ProxRO measures in dentistry that were created for infants and young children provide a structure for appropriate adaptations and the creation of relevant outcome measures. Including input from the intensely multidisciplinary teams that provide supports for those with ID is key to creating high-quality measures and oral health interventions for those with ID.

Essential Medicines for Dental Caries: Cost-Effectiveness of ART and SDF

Background

Untreated tooth decay (caries) is the most common global health condition and one of the largest preventable disease burdens for society. It concerns both children and adults, particularly in low resource settings whereout of pocket expenditures for oral care often cause catastrophic health expenditures. The 2021 WHO Oral Health Resolution emphasized the relevance of developing so-called “Best Buys” for oral health. The purpose of this study was to identify the cost-effectiveness of Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART) and Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) as potential treatments to reduce the caries burden worldwide.

Methods

Leaning on WHO CHOICE methodology, evidence scoping and an expert consensus were facilitated to extract model input parameters which were then fed into cost-effectiveness-analyses (CEA) for ART and SDF. The cost-effectiveness of the interventions was expressed as Cost per DALY averted.

Results

The evidence scoping revealed relevant, information on the effectiveness and costs of ART and SDF. The CEA identified both ART and SDF to be potentially cost-efficient treatment strategies in settings with limited resources. SDF was found to provide a cost-efficient treatment alternative in settings where the comparably larger (human) resource requirements for ART cannot be met.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that ART and SDF represent potentially cost-efficient strategies to reduce the caries burden in settings with limited resources. While ART has previously been proposed as part of WHO’s essential package of oral care, SDF could provide a comparably inexpensive treatment alternative.

Key messages

• Untreated tooth decay (caries) is the most common global health condition and one of the largest preventable disease burdens for society.

• The CEA identified both ART and SDF to be potentially cost-efficient treatment strategies in settings with limited resources.

Towards Better Oral Health Prevention: the Value for Money of Fluoride Toothpaste

Background

Although largely preventable, tooth decay (dental caries) is among the most common health conditions worldwide and contributes to substantial dental treatment expenditures. While Fluoride Toothpaste (FT) is considered an essential strategy for oral health prevention, its market price has been shown to vary substantially across various settings. Against this background, the present study aimed to develop a decision analytical model to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of FT in various settings.

Methods

Leaning on WHO CHOICE methodology, evidence scoping and an expert consensus were facilitated to extract model input parameters which were then fed into cost-effectiveness-analyses (CEA) for FT. The cost-effectiveness of the interventions was expressed as cost per Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY) averted.

Results

The CEA identified a high likelihood for FT to be a cost-efficient treatment strategy in settings with comparably low market prices for FT. FT was less likely to be a cost-efficient treatment strategy in settings with comparably high market prices for FT.

Conclusions

The developed decision analytical model is suitable to inform policymakers about the extent to which FT represents good value-for-money under different market prices.

Key messages

• Fluoride toothpaste can provide high value for money as an oral health preventive strategy.

• Policymakers need to ensure the affordability of fluoride toothpaste in order to harvest relevant efficiency gains.

Affordability of essential medicines: The case of fluoride toothpaste in 78 countries

Background

Fluoride toothpaste (FT) has recently been included in the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines. Whereas it is essential for preventing dental caries, its current affordability around the globe remains unclear. This study aimed to analyse the affordability of FT in as many as possible countries worldwide, to capture the extent of variations in FT affordability between high-, middle- and low-income countries.

Methods

A standardized protocol was developed to collect country-specific information about the characteristics of the cheapest available FT at a regular point of purchase. 82 members of the WHO Global Oral Health Network of Chief Dental Officers (CDOs), directors of WHO Collaborative Centres and other oral health experts collected data using mobile phone technology. In line with established methodologies to assess affordability, the Fluoride Toothpaste Affordability Ratio (FTAR) was calculated as the expenditure associated with the recommended annual consumption of FT relative to the daily wage of the lowest-paid unskilled government worker (FTAR >1 = unaffordable spending on fluoride toothpaste).

Results

There are significant differences in the affordability of FT across 78 countries. FT was strongly affordable in high-income countries, relatively affordable in upper middle-income countries, and strongly unaffordable in lower middle-income and low-income countries. The affordability of FT across WHO Regions was dependent upon the economic mix of WHO Regions’ member states.

Conclusion

FT is still unaffordable for many people, particularly in low-income settings. Strategies to improve the universal affordability of FT should be part of health policy decisions in order to contribute to reducing dental caries as a global public health problem.

What is the Oral Health-related Quality of Life following Miniscrew-Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion (MARPE)? A prospective clinical cohort study

Background

Miniscrew-Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion (MARPE) is a non-surgical orthodontic treatment for transverse maxillary deficiency. This study aimed to investigate the Oral Health-related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) and pain perception of patients undergoing MARPE treatment.

Methods

42 consecutive patients (9 men, 33 women) from the age of 16 onwards (mean: 27.4 ± 9.3 years; range 17.1–55.7 years) who received a MARPE treatment were included. OHRQoL was assessed with the short form of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) questionnaire. Patients filled out the questionnaire at baseline (T0) and weekly during the expansion phase (P1) and in the post-expansion phase (P2). Pain intensity was assessed with a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) questionnaire and filled out daily during expansion, along with a question on the intake of analgesics. The mean weekly and total OHIP-score and OHIP-score per domain were calculated at T0, P1 and P2, as well as mean weekly and total VAS-scores for average pain, maximum pain and analgesics intake during P1. Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to test for differences in OHIP between T0, P1 and P2. The level of significance was set at 0.05.

Results

The mean OHIP-score was 10.86 ± 9.71 at T0 and increased to 17.18 ± 10.43 during P1 (p < 0.001), after which it returned to pre-expansion levels, 9.27 ± 7.92 (p = 0.907) during P2. At the domain level, there was a statistically significant increase in OHIP-score at P1 for functional limitation, physical pain, psychological discomfort and social disability. The mean VAS-score for average pain during expansion was 16.00 ± 19.73 mm. Both OHIP-score (25.00 ± 10.25), average pain (33.72 ± 16.88 mm), maximum pain (44.47 ± 17.99 mm) and analgesics intake (59%) were highest at initiation of the expansion and decreased by the end of expansion.

Conclusions

MARPE is a generally well-tolerated expansion treatment. A temporary decline in OHRQoL and moderate pain are present at the start of expansion, followed by a recovery of OHRQoL and very mild pain during the rest of treatment. Clinicians should be aware of the effects of MARPE on patients’ quality of life and manage the expected discomfort and impediments with adequate communication and patient education.

Engaging patients to develop a customized digital health companion for periodontitis: Study protocol

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease resulting in the destruction of tooth-supporting tissues. It affects billions of people around the globe and substantiates an enormous economic burden to society. Digital tools such as mobile Health (mHealth) applications have the potential to increase patient engagement, knowledge about the disease, and adherence to treatment recommendations. Digital health companions represent a new kind of digital tool aiming to support patients throughout their course of periodontal care. This paper presents the study protocol of the Paro-ComPas project which aims to co-develop and evaluate a digital patient companion application (“app”) to empower patients along their journey with periodontitis. As a first step, a qualitative study design encompassing semi-structured interviews with patients and experts as well as focus group discussions (FGD) will be used. Patients in different stages of periodontal care will be recruited from dental practices across Germany and are invited to share their experiences and opinions about their care and potential areas for support. Experts from relevant areas (e.g., mHealth, behavior change psychology, oral health, and dental hygiene) will be interviewed to map a holistic view on the current delivery of care and best practices of mHealth development. After setting up a minimal viable product (MVP) based on a requirements analysis, FGDs with patients will take place to incorporate user feedback and finalize the development of the prototypic app. The prototypic app will then be evaluated in a randomized, multi-center clinical trial in comparison with the current standard of care. Finally, a comprehensive implementation roadmap will be developed together with all relevant stakeholders. This comprehensive approach will allow us to map the patient journey and develop a digital health companion tailored to the needs of patients with periodontitis using an already existing indication independent medical companion toolbox. Novel insights into patients’ knowledge and perception of periodontal disease as well as barriers in adherence to periodontal care pathways will be provided. This knowledge will be converted in a systematically tailored companion app to serve the needs and preferences of people to better address periodontitis. The results from the clinical trial will provide unique insights into the extent to which the patient companion app contributes to adherence to periodontal care. Although mHealth applications have become popular in recent years, only few apps focusing on promotion of oral health have been released so far. Our study presents a novel and comprehensive approach to both co-developing and evaluating a proof of concept for a digital health companion for patients with periodontitis.

Association between Periodontal Treatment and Healthcare Costs in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease: A Cohort Study Based on German Claims Data

There is empirical evidence of an association between periodontitis and coronary heart disease (CHD). However, it is uncertain whether periodontal treatment in CHD patients might lead to reduced healthcare costs. This study aims to assess the association between periodontal treatment and healthcare costs in newly diagnosed CHD patients. Data from 21,263 adults who were continuously insured between 2011 and 2016 and who were newly diagnosed with CHD in 2013 were selected from a German claims database. The study population was differentiated by the utilization of periodontal treatment. The average treatment effect (ATE) of periodontal treatment on healthcare costs (total, inpatient, outpatient, drugs) was investigated using weighted Poisson regression models conditional on covariates and is shown as a ratio (of geometric means). Periodontal treatment was documented for 4.7% of the persons in the study population. Newly diagnosed CHD patients showed an ATE of 0.98 for total healthcare cost (95% CI 0.90–1.06), 0.79 for inpatient costs (95% CI 0.61–1.04), and 0.95 for drug costs (95% CI 0.87–1.04). A statistically significant 7% increase in outpatient costs was shown (95% CI 1.01–1.13). Despite a lack of statistical significance in most cases, the study provides evidence of a meaningful decrease in inpatient costs after periodontal treatment. Further studies are needed.

Causal Inference: Onward and Upward!

When announcing the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2021, the Royal Swedish Academy emphasized how conclusions about cause and effect can be drawn from natural experiments. But what can dental research learn from this? The economist’s toolbox provides a number of methods for causal inference from observational data such as instrumental variables, regression discontinuity designs, or difference-in-differences analyses. Although the relevance of improving causal inference in dental research has repeatedly been highlighted in recent years, dental research still seems to reveal major room for improvement in the application of such methods. First, there seems to be an absence of causal literature on key essential research questions for oral health. Second, the diversity and diffusion of causal inferential methods in the dental literature seem very limited so far. Third, while dental research has widely been promoting the use of directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) to help conceptualize causal thinking, comparably little attention seems to have been paid to choosing and applying appropriate data-analytic approaches for causal inference. Fourth, similar to other fields of medicine, confusion seems to persist within the dental research community as to the use of causal language. If dental research is to secure a robust evidence base for promoting effective oral health interventions, we argue that dental research needs to move beyond its current methodological echo chamber and embrace a radically different approach to causal inference. We call for editors, reviewers, and authors to embrace a much more critically reflective approach to causal inference.

Effects of provider incentives on dental X-raying in NHS Scotland: what happens if patients switch providers?

BACKGROUND

In many market settings individuals are encouraged to switch health care providers as a means of ensuring more competition. Switching may have a potentially undesirable side effect of increasing unnecessary treatment. Focusing on the most common source of medical radiation (dental X-rays), the purpose of this study was to assess whether, upon switching dentist, X-ray exposure increases depending on the type of provider payment.

METHODS

The analysis used longitudinal data from 2005 to 2016 covering a 5% random sample of the Scottish adult population covered by the National Health Service (NHS). Multiple fixed-effects panel regression analyses were employed to determine the correlation of provider remuneration with patients' likelihood of receiving an X-ray upon switching to a new dentist other things equal. A broad set of covariates including a patient's copayment status was controlled for.

RESULTS

Upon switching to a dentist who was paid fee-for-service, patients had a by 9.6%-points (95% CI 7.4-11.8%) higher probability of receiving an X-ray, compared to switching to a salaried dentist. Results were robust when accounting for patient exemption status, as well as unobserved patient and dentist characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS

In comparison to staying with the same dentist, patients may be exposed to substantially more X-rays upon switching to a dentist who is paid fee-for-service. There may need to be better guidance and regulation to protect the health of those who have to switch provider due to moving and greater caution in advocating voluntary switching.

[Do the additional costs of mandibular implant-retained overdentures even out the improved quality of life?]

In publications, implant retained overdentures have frequently been suggested to be a cost-efficient treatment alternative to conventional dentures. But whether the additional health benefits of implant retained overdentures even out the higher costs is not answered unequivocally. The qualification of the improved quality of life and the valuation of costs are strongly determined by the decision maker (insurance and/or patient). Future research must be encouraged to further elucidate patient willingness to pay for implant retained overdentures and the societal return on investment herein more generally.

Social Mobility and Tooth Loss: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

This study systematically reviews the evidence of the association between life course social mobility and tooth loss among middle-aged and older people. PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science were systematically searched in addition to gray literature and contact with the authors. Data on tooth loss were collated for a 4-category social mobility variable (persistently high, upward or downward mobility, and persistently low) for studies with data on socioeconomic status (SES) before age 12 y and after age 30 y. Several study characteristics were extracted to investigate heterogeneity in a random effect meta-analysis. A total of 1,384 studies were identified and assessed for eligibility by reading titles and abstracts; 21 original articles were included, of which 18 provided sufficient data for a meta-analysis with 40 analytical data sets from 26 countries. In comparison with individuals with persistently high social mobility, the pooled odds ratios (ORs) for the other categories were as follows: upwardly mobile, OR = 1.73 (95% CI, 1.53 to 1.95); downwardly mobile, OR = 2.52 (95% CI, 2.19 to 2.90); and persistently low, OR = 3.96 (95% CI, 3.13 to 5.03). A high degree of heterogeneity was found(I² > 78%), and subgroup analysis was performed with 17 study-level characteristics; however, none could explain heterogeneity consistently in these 3 social mobility categories. SES in childhood and adulthood is associated with tooth loss, but the high degree of heterogeneity prevented us from forming a robust conclusion on whether upwardly or downwardly mobile SES may be more detrimental. The large variability in effect size among the studies suggests that contextual factors may play an important role in explaining the difference in the effects of low SES in different life stages (PROSPERO CRD42018092427).

What is the evidence on the added value of implant-supported overdentures? A review

Background

Implant‐supported overdentures (IODs) have been reported to increase patients' oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL) in comparison with conventional dentures (CDs); however, the conclusiveness of evidence on the clinical effectiveness and value for money of IODs versus CDs remains unclear.

Purpose

To review how the added value of IODs is demonstrated in the literature.

Materials and methods

MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database were searched for randomized control trials, controlled clinical trials, and prospective cohort studies containing evaluations of the economic and health benefits and costs of IODs. Information about the clinical effectiveness, such as magnitude of bite forces or chewing efficacy, OHRQoL, costs, and cost‐effectiveness of IODs, was extracted.

Results

A total of 17 articles were included, reporting 15 economic evaluations: 11 cost‐utility analyses (CUAs), 2 of which were combined with a cost‐effectiveness analysis (CEA), and 2 cost–benefit analyses (CBAs). Seven CUAs used the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) questionnaire while four used satisfaction questionnaires to assess the OHRQoL. One study applied quality‐adjusted prosthesis years (QAPYs) for this purpose. The CBAs expressed both the beneficial outcome and the costs of the IOD in monetary terms. The included studies employed a large variety of economic evaluation methods, which limited cross‐study comparability.

Conclusions

On the basis of existing economic evaluations, IODs have frequently been suggested to be a cost‐efficient treatment alternative to CDs; however, the comparability between the various economic evaluation studies was limited due to the different outcome measures used. In addition, it remains unclear whether the additional health benefits of IODs outweigh the higher costs. This is largely dependent on the decision maker's valuation of oral health outcomes. Future research is encouraged to further elucidate patient willingness to pay for IODs and the societal return on investing in IODs more generally.

Population-Based Prevalence of Oral Conditions as a Basis for Planning Community-Based Interventions: An Epidemiological Study From Rural Burkina Faso

Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to: (i) provide timely data on dental caries and periodontal conditions in rural Burkina Faso; (ii) identify the oral health practices carried out in this population, and (iii) to prioritize evidence-based interventions at the community level. Methods: Leaning on WHO recommendations for oral health epidemiological studies, clinical examinations and questionnaire-based surveys were conducted in two different age groups (adolescents: 15-19 years old; adults: 35-44 years old) in the health district of Nouna, Burkina Faso. Caries and tooth status were assessed according to the DMFT Index. The periodontal status was assessed by a modified Community Periodontal Index on all teeth present and measuring the level of attachment-loss of six index teeth. Questionnaire items specifically included utilization of oral health care and oral health behaviors. Results: The prevalence of untreated caries was 38% in adolescents and 73% in adults. In terms of periodontal health, 21% of adolescents and 61% of adults had an attachment loss ≥4 mm. Ninety seven percent of adolescents had not attended a dentist in the previous year and 78% of adults had never seen a dentist in their life. About one third of adolescents and adults cleaned their teeth less often than once per day with equal proportions of toothbrushes and traditional chewing sticks made of tree branches. Fluoride toothpaste was used by <10% of study participants. Almost half of the examined people reported to drink a sugar-sweetened beverage at least once a day. Conclusions: Dental caries and periodontitis are highly prevalent in rural Burkina Faso. These findings highlight the key relevance of epidemiological data for identifying people's oral health needs as basis for developing, testing, and implementing oral health interventions and programs. Special emphasis should be put on the design and evaluation of community-based interventions.

[Global oral health in the international health policy spotlight-challenges and new opportunities for sustainable improvement]

Orale Erkrankungen sind ein signifikantes globales Gesundheitsproblem über alle Länder und Bevölkerungsgruppen hinweg. Mit fast 3,5 Mrd. Erkrankungsfällen (2017) sind so viele Menschen betroffen wie von keiner anderen Krankheitsgruppe. Die Haupterkrankungen sind unbehandelte Karies der bleibenden oder der Milchzähne, fortgeschrittene Parodontopathien, Zahnlosigkeit sowie Karzinome der Mundhöhle und Lippen. Bei weitgehend unverändert hoher globaler Prävalenz erhöhen durch Bevölkerungswachstum bedingte stark steigende Fallzahlen den Druck auf schwache oder überlastete Gesundheitssysteme, insbesondere in Ländern der unteren und mittleren Einkommensgruppen.

Dennoch wird der Mundgesundheit in vielen Ländern nur unzureichende Priorität eingeräumt und sie erhält als wichtiges Thema im gesundheitspolitischen Diskurs der deutschen und globalen Akteure nach wie vor wenig Aufmerksamkeit. Eine der fundamentalen Herausforderungen ist dabei die Gewährleistung eines allgemeinen und fairen Zugangs zu adäquater universeller Basisgesundheitsversorgung für alle Menschen ohne Verursachung von finanziellen Härten (Universal Health Coverage).

Dieser Beitrag gibt einen einführenden Überblick über die globalen Trends der weltweiten Krankheitslast der oralen Haupterkrankungen, die von starken Ungleichheiten geprägt sind. Verbesserungsansätze aus der bevölkerungsweiten Risikoreduktion und Prävention, der Versorgungsplanung sowie gesundheitspolitische Lösungen werden kurz vorgestellt. Dabei werden die im internationalen Diskurs wichtigen Themen angesprochen und die im Rahmen einer Lancet-Artikelserie zur globalen Mundgesundheit aus dem Jahr 2019 entwickelten Reformbereiche besprochen. Schließlich werden neue Initiativen diskutiert sowie Empfehlungen für die deutsche und internationale gesundheitliche Entwicklungspolitik gegeben, die in den kommenden Jahren die Situation der globalen Mundgesundheit entscheidend verbessern könnten.

[Good oral care deserves to be better integrated into primary care]

Oral and general health are inextricable. In primary care, the fields of care by general practioners, youth healthcare, healthcare for older people and oral care are all distinctly separated. Healthcare professionals are increasingly confronted with the complexity and increase in Noncommunicable diseases (NCD's) and an aging population. The aetiology of NCD's in primary care concern the professional fields of all healthcare professionals mentioned, meaning that lifestyle-related risks might be prevented more effectively through collaboration. In primary care, the number of medically compromised people is on the rise and healthcare professionals encounter each other's patients, whose risks remain invisible to them. Through collaboration such problems could be faced more effectively. Better integration of oral care into primary care can also contribute to the quality of care and safety of care receivers, and reduce further inequality. In order to better design this integration with the help of innovation, more practicebased research and implementation is needed.

Effectiveness and Policy Determinants of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Taxes

Sugar consumption is on the rise globally with detrimental (oral) health effects. There is ample evidence that sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes can efficiently reduce sugar consumption. However, evidence alone is seldom enough to implement a policy. In this article, we present a narrative synthesis of evidence, based on real-world SSB tax evaluations, and we combine this with lessons from policy development case studies. This article is structured according to the Health Policy Analysis Triangle, which identifies a policy's content and process and important contextual factors. SSB tax policy content needs to be coupled to existing problems and public sentiment, which depend on more aspects than aspects related to (oral) health alone. Whether or not to include artificially sweetened beverages, therefore, is not solely a matter of showing the evidence of their oral health impact but also dependent on the stated aim of a tax and public sentiment toward tax policies in general. SSB taxes also need to be in line with existing tax and decision-making rules. Earmarking revenue for specific (health promotion) purposes may therefore be less straightforward as it might appear. The policy process of creating context-sensitive SSB tax policy content is not easy either. Advocacy coalitions need to be formed early in the process, and stamina, expertise, and flexibility are required to get a SSB tax adopted in a specific community. This requires a meticulously considered SSB tax structure implementation process. Oral health professionals who want to lead the way in advocating for SSB taxes should realize that evidence-based arguments on potential effectiveness alone will not be enough to realize change. The oral health community can learn important lessons from other "doctor-activists" such as pulmonologists, who have successfully advocated for higher tobacco taxes by being visible in the public debate with clear messaging and robust policy proposals.

Causal effect of tooth loss on depression: evidence from a population-wide natural experiment in the USA

AIMS

Depression severely affects people's health and well-being. Oral diseases have been suggested to be associated with depression, but so far, there is no causal evidence. This study aimed to identify the causal effect of tooth loss on depression among US adults in a natural experiment study.

METHODS

Instrumental variable analysis was conducted using data from 169 061 respondents born in 1940-1978 who participated in the 2006, 2008 or 2010 waves of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Random variation in tooth loss due to differential childhood exposure to drinking water fluoride was exploited as an instrument.

RESULTS

US adults who were exposed to drinking water fluoride in childhood had more remaining teeth, therefore providing a robust instrument (F = 73.4). For each additional tooth loss, depressive symptoms according to the eight-item Patient Health Questionnaire depression (PHQ-8) score increased by 0.146 (95% CI 0.008-0.284), and the probability of having clinical depression (PHQ ⩾10) increased by 0.81 percentage points (95% CI -0.12 to 1.73).

CONCLUSIONS

Tooth loss causally increased depression among US adults. Losing ten or more teeth had an impact comparable to adults with major depressive disorder not receiving antidepressant drugs.

Development and evaluation of a mobile patient application to enhance medical-dental integration for the treatment of periodontitis and diabetes

INTRODUCTION

People around the world are increasingly affected by multimorbidity, where conditions in different medical specialties can correlate in complex ways. This increases the relevance of multidisciplinary integrated care pathways. Modern software solutions provide vast opportunities to enhance information exchange between patients and various healthcare professionals, thereby improving patient-centered and inter-professional care. This paper describes the development and validation of a mobile patient application which exploits Patient Reported Outcomes to enhance patient-centered medical-dental integration with a focus on integrated management of periodontitis and diabetes.

METHODS

This study was part of a multidisciplinary project for enhancement of medical-dental integration. The Intervention Mapping Protocol was supplemented by the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method, including literature reviews, focus group discussions and a Delphi panel in cooperation with various stakeholders. A mobile application was developed in close collaboration with patients, physicians and dentists. The usability of the application's core components was validated in two medical and two dental practices using the System Usability Scale (SUS).

RESULTS

39 questions were identified to provide relevant patient-reported information which can be collected via a mobile application to enhance integrated management of periodontitis and diabetes. Usability testing of the application's core components (14 questions) among 137 participants in medical and dental practices indicated a good SUS score of 77.88 (±12.17).

DISCUSSION

The systematically developed mobile application offers the potential to provide physicians and dentists with treatment-relevant information to enhance medical-dental integration, thereby reducing the workload of medical staff, improving the quality of routinely collected data, and enabling automated data processing. This unique, novel, and validated approach can serve as an open framework for the development and evaluation of interdisciplinary healthcare software.

Meta-research publications in dentistry: a review

The present scoping review has the objective of providing an overview of meta-research in dentistry. A search of the PubMed database was performed for the period 11 October 2014 to 10 October 2019. Study selection and data extraction were performed independently by one author; prior to this, a random sample of 10% of the retrieved titles and abstracts were independently screened by two authors, achieving agreement of >80% on eligibility for initial inclusion, corresponding to good agreement. The following information was extracted from the full text of each article: meta-research area of interest; study design; type of studies evaluated in the meta-research; type of methodology used in assessment of the primary research; conflicts of interest reported; sponsorships reported; dental discipline; journal of publication; country of the first author; number of citations; and impact factor. A total of 7800 documents were initially retrieved. After analysis of the title/abstract and the full text of each article, and a snowballing procedure, 155 meta-research studies were identified and included. The 'methods' and 'reporting' meta-research areas were the most prevalent, with 73 (47%) and 61 (40%) studies, respectively. General dentistry, and orthodontics and dentofacial orthopaedics were the dental specialties with the greatest number/proportion of included studies with 45 (29%) and 28 (18%) studies, respectively. These findings may help to prioritize future meta-research in dentistry, consequently avoiding unnessecary investigations, and increasing the value of oral and dental research.

The impact of periodontal treatment on healthcare costs in newly diagnosed diabetes patients: Evidence from a German claims database

AIMS

There is sufficient scientific evidence for the bidirectional association between periodontal diseases and diabetes. In this context, we hypothesized that periodontal treatment leads to lower healthcare costs in newly diagnosed diabetes patients by promoting a milder disease course.

METHODS

A total of 23,771 persons were investigated who were continuously insured by German health insurances between 2011 and 2016, 18 years or older, and newly diagnosed with diabetes in 2013. The study population was divided into a periodontal treatment and control group (no periodontal treatment). The average treatment effect of a periodontal treatment on various types of healthcare costs (inpatient, outpatient, drug costs) was analyzed by a doubly robust method.

RESULTS

Finally, 5.3% of the study population could be assigned to the treatment group. In newly diagnosed diabetes patients with periodontal treatment, a reduction in total healthcare costs (0.96, 95%CI 0.89; 1.04), inpatient costs (0.87, 95%CI 0.69; 1.08), diabetes-related drug costs (0.93, 95%CI 0.84; 1.03) and other drug costs (0.97, 95%CI 0.89; 1.05) could be shown compared to the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides evidence that periodontal treatment for diabetes patients reduces healthcare costs. Fewer diabetes-specific complications and hospitalizations are expected.

Causal Effect of Tooth Loss on Functional Capacity in Older Adults in England: A Natural Experiment

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Tooth loss is associated with reduced functional capacity, but so far, there is no relevant causal evidence reported. We investigated the causal effect of tooth loss on the instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) among older adults in England.

DESIGN

Natural experiment study with instrumental variable analysis.

SETTING

The English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA) combined with the participants' childhood exposure to water fluoride due to the community water fluoridation.

PARTICIPANTS

Five thousand six hundred and thirty one adults in England born in 1945-1965 participated in the ELSA wave seven survey (conducted in 2014-2015; average age: 61.0 years, 44.6% men).

MEASUREMENTS

The number of natural teeth predicted by the exogenous geographical and historical variation in exposure to water fluoride from age 5 to 20 years old (instrumental variable) was used as an exposure variable. The outcome, having any limitations in IADL (preparing a hot meal, shopping for groceries, making telephone calls, taking medications, doing work around the house or garden, or managing money), was assessed by self-reported questionnaires.

RESULTS

Linear probability model with Two-Stage Least Squares estimation was fitted. Being exposed to fluoridated water was associated with having more natural teeth in later life (coefficient: 0.726; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.311, 1.142; F = 11.749). Retaining one more natural tooth reduced the probability of having a limitation in IADL by 3.1 percentage points (coefficient: -0.031; 95% CI = -0.060, -0.002).

CONCLUSION

Preventing tooth loss maintains functional capacity among older adults in England. Given the high prevalence of tooth loss, this effect is considerable. Further research on the mechanism of the observed causal relationship is needed.

Developing a Standard Set of Patient-centred Outcomes for Adult Oral Health - An International, Cross-disciplinary Consensus

Objective

To develop a minimum Adult Oral Health Standard Set (AOHSS) for use in clinical practice, research, advocacy and population health.

Materials and methods

An international oral health working group (OHWG) was established, of patient advocates, researchers, clinicians and public health experts to develop an AOHSS. PubMed was searched for oral health clinical and patient-reported measures and case-mix variables related to caries and periodontal disease. The selected patient-reported outcome measures focused on general oral health, and oral health-related quality of life tools. A consensus was reached via Delphi with parallel consultation of subject matter content experts. Finally, comments and input were elicited from oral health stakeholders globally, including patients/consumers.

Results

The literature search yielded 1,453 results. After inclusion/exclusion criteria, 959 abstracts generated potential outcomes and case-mix variables. Delphi rounds resulted in a consensus-based selection of 80 individual items capturing 31 outcome and case-mix concepts. Global reviews generated 347 responses from 87 countries, and the patient/consumer validation survey elicited 129 responses. This AOHSS includes 25 items directed towards patients (including demographics, the impact of their oral health on oral function, a record of pain and oral hygiene practices, and financial implications of care) and items for clinicians to complete, including medical history, a record of caries and periodontal disease activity, and types of dental treatment delivered.

Conclusion

In conclusion, utilising a robust methodology, a standardised core set of oral health outcome measures for adults, with a particular emphasis on caries and periodontal disease, was developed.

Accuracy of a 7-Item Patient-Reported Stand-Alone Tool for Periodontitis Screening

Periodontitis is interrelated with various other chronic diseases. Recent evidence suggests that treatment of periodontitis improves glycemic control in diabetes patients and reduces the costs of diabetes treatment. So far, however, screening for periodontitis in non-dental settings has been complicated by a lack of easily applicable and reliable screening tools which can be applied by non-dental professionals. The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of a short seven-item tool developed by the German Society for Periodontology (DG PARO) to screen for periodontitis by means of patient-reported information. A total of 88 adult patients filled in the patient-reported Periodontitis Risk Score (pPRS; range: 0 points = lowest periodontitis risk; 20 points = very high periodontitis risk) questionnaire before dental check-up at Heidelberg University Hospital. Subsequent clinical assessments according to Periodontal Screening and Recording (PSR®) were compared with pPRS scores. The diagnostic accuracy of pPRS at different cutoff values was assessed according to sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values, as well as Receiver-Operator-Characteristic curves, Area Under the Curve (AUC), and logistic regression analysis. According to combined specificity and sensitivity (AUC = 0.86; 95%-CI: 0.76-0.95), the diagnostic accuracy of the pPRS for detecting periodontal inflammation (PSR® ≥ 3) was highest for a pPRS cutoff distinguishing between pPRS scores < 7 vs. ≥ 7. Patients with pPRS scores ≥ 7 had a 36.09 (95%-CI: 9.82-132.61) times higher chance of having a PSR® ≥ 3 than patients with scores < 7. In conclusion, the pPRS may be considered an appropriately accurate stand-alone tool for the screening for periodontitis.

Front-of-Package Food Labeling to Reduce Caries: Economic Evaluation

Front-of-package food labeling (FoPFL) is increasingly advocated as an effective intervention to facilitate behavior changes toward healthier food purchasing and consumption, particularly in relation to products with added sugar. The present study assessed the potential caries-related impacts of FoPFL, using Germany as an example. The outcomes of interest were caries lesions prevented, dental treatment costs avoided, productivity loss reductions, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) averted. The baseline consumption of added sugar was derived from the German National Nutrition Survey. The reduction in sugar intake due to FoPFL was modeled according to estimates from a recent meta-analysis. Microsimulations were performed for 500,000 individuals and over a time horizon of 10 y. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to check the robustness of results. For the period from 2017 to 2027, FoPFL was identified to prevent 2,370,715 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2,062,730-2,678,700) caries lesions and avert 677.62 (95% CI, 589.59-765.65) DALYs. Treatment cost savings amounted to €175.67 million (95% CI, €152.85-€198.49), and productivity losses reduced by €27.33 million (95% CI, €23.78-€30.88). Sensitivity analyses showed that the magnitude of the effects is highly dependent on consumers' response to FoPFL. Our findings suggest that FoPFL has the potential to substantially reduce caries increment, caries-related morbidity, and economic burden. In addition, our study allows for the inclusion of oral health estimates in overall health estimates for sugar-related food labeling. Before prioritizing a strategy to tackle sugar consumption, decision makers should carefully consider all relevant context-specific factors and implementation costs.

Planning the oral health workforce: Time for innovation

The levels and types of oral health problems occurring in populations change over time, while advances in technology change the way oral health problems are addressed and the ways care is delivered. These rapid changes have major implications for the size and mix of the oral health workforce, yet the methods used to plan the oral health workforce have remained rigid and isolated from planning of oral healthcare services and healthcare expenditures. In this paper, we argue that the innovation culture that has driven major developments in content and delivery of oral health care must also be applied to planning the oral health workforce if we are to develop ‘fit for purpose’ healthcare systems that meet the needs of populations in the 21st century. An innovative framework for workforce planning is presented focussed on responding to changes in population needs, service developments for meeting those needs and optimal models of care delivery.

Forecasting future dental health expenditures: Development of a framework using data from 32 OECD countries

Objective

To (1) develop a framework for forecasting future dental expenditures, using currently available information, and (2) identify relevant research and data gaps such that dental expenditure predictions can continuously be improved in the future.

Methods

Our analyses focused on 32 OECD countries. Dependent on the number of predictors, we employed dynamic univariate and multivariate modelling approaches with various model specifications. For univariate modelling, an auto‐regressive (AR) dynamic model was employed to incorporate historical trends in dental expenditures. Multivariate modelling took account of historical trends, as well as of relationships between dental expenditures, dental morbidity, economic growth in terms of gross domestic product and demographic changes.

Results

Estimates of dental expenditures varied substantially across different model specifications. Models relying on dental morbidity as one of the predictors performed worst regardless of their specification. Using the best‐fitted model specification, that is the univariate second‐order autoregression [AR(2)], the forecasted dental expenditures across 32 OECD countries amounted to US$316bn (95% forecasted interval, FI: 258‐387) in 2020, US$434bn (95%FI: 354‐532) in 2030 and US$594bn (95%FI: 485‐728) in 2040. Per capita spending in 2040 was forecasted to be highest in Germany (US$889, 95%FI: 726‐1090) and lowest in Mexico (US$52, 95%FI: 42‐64).

Conclusions

The present study demonstrates the feasibility and challenges in predicting dental expenditures and can serve as a basis for improvement towards more sustainable and resilient health policy and resource planning. Within the limitations of available data sources, our findings suggest that dental expenditures in OECD countries could increase substantially over the next two decades and vary considerably across countries. For more accurate estimation and a better understanding of determinants of dental expenditures, more comprehensive data on dental spending and dental morbidity are urgently needed.

Usage and Scientific Properties of the ADVOCATE Oral Health Care Measures

BACKGROUND

Feedback information about the quality of oral health care is important for reflective learning by oral health care professionals and the wider health system. To this end, a list of 48 topics describing oral health and oral health care was recently agreed as part of the EU H2020 ADVOCATE project.

OBJECTIVE

This article reports on the formulation of measures based on the ADVOCATE topics and provides information on usage, reporting, validity, and reliability of the measures.

METHODS

The AIRE instrument was used to guide the methodological approach adopted. The appropriateness of the measures was tested among 39 general dental practitioners (GDPs) in Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands. Data were collected from a convenience sample of patients via a questionnaire deployed in an online application in their practice. Feasibility, acceptability, and usefulness of the measures were evaluated through focus group interviews with GDPs. Face validity and test-retest reliability of the measures were assessed.

RESULTS

For 46 of the 48 topics, a measure could be defined by constructing a definition and a numerator and denominator. Data collection for all 46 measures was feasible and acceptable for patients using the online questionnaire. The practicalities of using claims data for the purpose of giving feedback to individual and groups of GDPs proved to be challenging in terms of timely access of such data, the granularity of the data, and matching the content of the data with the consented items on quality of oral health care. Face validity was considered appropriate, as the patients found the questionnaire easy to understand. Test-retest reliability was found to be acceptable for 36 of 46 measures.

CONCLUSION

The broad range of the ADVOCATE oral health care measures could make a useful contribution to a more transparent, evidence-based, and patient-centered oral health care system.

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER STATEMENT

This study shows the usage, reliability, and validity of 46 oral health care measures. The measures, which include patient experience and health behaviors, were found to be useful to stimulate discussions about clinical practice. The measures can provide essential information for quality improvement strategies and useful and relevant feedback information for GDPs.

Effect of periodontal treatment on diabetes-related healthcare costs: a retrospective study

INTRODUCTION

Periodontitis has been considered a sixth complication of diabetes. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of periodontal treatment on diabetes-related healthcare costs in patients with diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A retrospective analysis was done, exploiting unique and large-scale claims data of a Dutch health insurance company. Data were extracted for a cohort of adults who had been continuously insured with additional dental coverage for the years 2012-2018. Individuals with at least one diabetes-related treatment claim in 2012 were included for analysis. A series of panel data regression models with patient-level fixed effects were estimated to assess the impact of periodontal treatment on diabetes-related healthcare costs.

RESULTS

A total of 41 598 individuals with diabetes (age range 18-100 years; 45.7% female) were included in the final analyses. The median diabetes-related healthcare costs per patient in 2012 were €38.45 per quarter (IQR €11.52-€263.14), including diagnoses, treatment, medication and hospitalization costs. The fixed effect models showed €12.03 (95% CI -€15.77 to -€8.29) lower diabetes-related healthcare costs per quarter of a year following periodontal treatment compared with no periodontal treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Periodontitis, a possible complication of diabetes, should receive appropriate attention in diabetes management. The findings of this study provide corroborative evidence for reduced economic burdens due to periodontal treatment in patients with diabetes.