Frequency and type of tooth extractions in adults vary by age: register-based nationwide observations in 2012-2017

OBJECTIVE

This register-based study assessed the frequency of and age-specified variation in tooth extractions in adults visiting private dentists in Finland in 2012-2017.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Retrospective study design was used on the register-based data of private sector services. Data of the entire 6 years, 2012-2017, included records of a total of 6,252,039 patients. From among these, further detailed information was gathered in 2012 for 1,058,305 patients, and in 2017, for 985,043 patients. For each 6 years, the data were aggregated into patients' 5-year age groups that were observation elements. Proportions of patients undergoing oral surgical treatments were compared during the 6 years 2012-2017, and details of tooth extractions in 2012 and 2017. Linear regression modelling was used to analyse thinkable age- and year-related inclinations in oral surgical treatments.

RESULTS

Across the 6 years, a total of 848,362 patients (13.6%) underwent oral surgical treatments, and the rates varied by year 13.3-13.8%. By age group, the smallest rates (9-10%) were for 35-49-year-olds and greatest (20-22%) for those aged below 25 or over 84. The rates in same-age groups were stable. In 2012 and 2017, mean numbers of tooth extractions per patient by year were 0.17 and 0.18, and per patients undergoing oral surgical treatments, 1.29 and 1.27, respectively. Proportion of patients undergoing oral surgical treatments and mean number of tooth extractions per patient was greater in younger and older age groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Tooth extractions in adults are age-dependent and age-specified differences remain stable across the years.

Age-related variation in volume and content of restorative private dental care for adults in Finland in 2012-2017: A nationwide register-based observation

OBJECTIVES

This study assessed age-related variation in the volume and content of restorative dental care performed by private dentists for adults in Finland in 2012-2017.

METHODS

This retrospective register-based observational study utilized the Social Insurance database of private dental services in 2012 and 2017, including all patients. The data were aggregated into 5-year age groups for 20-89-year-olds; those aged 90+ formed one group. A patient was one who had received at least one treatment, and a restoration patient one who received at least one restoration (direct/indirect), excluding prosthetic crowns. Attendance rate was the proportion of the population treated. Volume of restorative treatment was the proportion of restoration patients among all patients using private dental services. Content of restorative treatment was described as the number of teeth receiving restoration and the size of restoration (number of surfaces restored). Correlation coefficient demonstrated associations between age groups and numbers of restorations.

RESULTS

Rate of restoration patients was 64.8 % in 2012 and 61.1 % in 2017, the rate for individuals aged under 80 years in each calendar year being smaller than in previous years. Mean number of restorations received per patient was 1.59 in 2012 and 1.42 in 2017, increasing with age (r = 0.85 in 2012; r = 0.95 in 2017). Small restorations dominated; one to two surfaces were covered in 72.3 % and 75.5 % of restorations in 2012 and 2017, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Volume and content of restorative dental care for adults vary by age and have decreased slightly over time.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Restorative treatments are a prominent part of dental care for adults. This paper sheds light on the entity of restorative dental care for adults visiting private dentists. Variation in restoration volume and content is shown according to patient's age group, and changes are assessed across six years.

Age-specific findings on endodontic treatments performed by private dentists in Finland in 2012 and 2017: a nationwide register-based observation

AIM

To evaluate age-specific aspects and changes in volume and content of endodontic treatment for adults visiting private dentists in Finland in 2012 and 2017.

METHODOLOGY

This study utilized register-based data of private dental care. The observation unit of the aggregated macro-level data was age group, with 5-year age groups from 20 to 24 years onwards and the oldest group combining all patients aged 90 years and over. Data from years 2012 and 2017 included all the oral health care of 2.04 million patients receiving reimbursement for treatment by private dentists; a total of 183 932 patients received at least one endodontic treatment and were analysed. The number of teeth receiving endodontic treatment was counted separately as pulp cappings, pulpotomies and root canal fillings according to number of canals filled per tooth. Statistical associations were assessed as correlation coefficients.

RESULTS

The mean age of endodontic patients was 53.6 years in 2012 and 55.9 years in 2017. In both years, 38% were aged from 50 to 64 years. In 2012, 9.9%, and in 2017, 8.0% of patients received at least one endodontic treatment; the older the patients, the fewer received endodontic treatment (r = -0.9). From 2012 to 2017, numbers of all patients and treatments decreased, endodontic patients and treatments even more notably, and in all age groups. Per thousand patients in 2017, 62.1 teeth received root canal treatment and 14.9 pulp capping. Pulp capping comprised 19.2%, pulpotomies 0.8% and root canal fillings 80.0% of teeth receiving endodontic treatment. Of root filled teeth, 45.1% received filling in one canal, 17.0% in two and 37.9% in three or more canals, multi-canal options being less frequent in older patients (r = -0.94).

CONCLUSIONS

Endodontic treatment, received by 9% of adult patients visiting private dentists in Finland, was strongly age-dependent, showing a decreasing trend with age and time.

Impact of the automated dose dispensing with medication review on geriatric primary care patients drug use in Finland: a nationwide cohort study with matched controls

OBJECTIVE

In an automated dose dispensing (ADD) service, medicines are dispensed in unit-dose bags according to administration times. When the service is initiated, the patient's medication list is reconciled and a prescription review is conducted. The service is expected to reduce drug use. The aim of this national controlled study was to investigate whether the ADD service with medication review reduces drug use among geriatric primary care patients.

DESIGN, SETTING AND PATIENTS

This is a nationwide cohort study with matched controls. The study group consisted of all primary care patients ≥65 years enrolled in the ADD service in Finland during 2007 (n = 2073). Control patients (n = 2073) were matched by gender, age, area of patient's residence and number of the prescription drugs reimbursed. The data on all prescription drugs reimbursed during the 1 year periods before and after the ADD service enrollment were extracted from the Finnish National Prescription Register. Drug use was calculated as defined daily doses (DDD) per day.

RESULTS

The studied 20 most used drugs covered 86% of all reimbursed drug use (in DDD) of the study group. The use of 11 out of these 20 active substances studied was reduced significantly (p < .001-.041) when the drug use was adjusted by the number of chronic diseases. Two of these drugs were hypnotics and six were cardiovascular system drugs.

CONCLUSIONS

Drug use was decreased after initiation of the ADD service in primary care patients ≥65 years compared to matched controls in this 1 year cohort study. Further studies should be conducted in order to explore the causality, assess the ADD service's impact on drug use quality and costs, as well as impact of accompanied prescription review on positive outcomes.

Factors associated with the utilization and costs of health and social services in frail elderly patients

Background

Universal access is one of the major aims in public health and social care. Services should be provided on the basis of individual needs. However, municipal autonomy and the fragmentation of services may jeopardize universal access and lead to variation between municipalities in the delivery of services. This paper aims to identify patient-level characteristics and municipality-level service patterns that may have an influence on the use and costs of health and social services of frail elderly patients.

Methods

Hierarchical analysis was applied to estimate the effects of patient and municipality-level variables on services utilization.

Results

The variation in the use of health care services was entirely due to patient-related variables, whereas in the social services, 9% of the variation was explained by the municipality-level and 91% by the patient-level characteristics. Health-related quality of life explained a major part of variation in the costs of health care services. Those who had reported improvement in their health status during the preceding year were more frequent users of social care services. Low informal support, poor functional status and poor instrumental activities of daily living, living at a residential home, and living alone were associated with higher social services expenditure.

Conclusions

The results of this study showed municipality-level variation in the utilization of social services, whereas health care services provided for frail elderly people seem to be highly equitable across municipalities.

Another important finding was that the utilization of social and health services were connected. Those who reported improvement in their health status during the preceding year were more frequently also using social services. This result suggests that if municipalities continue to limit the provision of support services only for those who are in the highest need, this saving in the social sector may, in the long run, result in increased costs of health care.

Economic evaluation of a geriatric rehabilitation programme: a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

Cost-effectiveness of a geriatric rehabilitation programme.

DESIGN

Economic evaluation alongside a randomized controlled trial.

METHODS

A total of 741 subjects with progressively decreasing functional ability and unspecific morbidity were randomly assigned to either an inpatient rehabilitation programme (intervention group) or standard care (control group). The difference between the mean cost per person for 12 months' care in the rehabilitation and control groups (incremental cost) and the ratio between incremental cost and effectiveness were calculated. Clinical outcomes were functional ability (Functional Independence Measure (FIM(TM))) and health-related quality of life (15D score).

RESULTS

The FIM(TM) score decreased by 3.41 (standard deviation 6.7) points in intervention group and 4.35 (standard deviation 8.0) in control group (p = 0.0987). The decrease in the 15D was equal in both groups. The mean incremental cost of adding rehabilitation to standard care was 3111 euros per person. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for FIMTM did not show any clinically significant change, and the rehabilitation was more costly than standard care. A cost-effectiveness acceptability curve suggests that if decision-makers were willing to pay 4000 euros for a 1-point improvement in FIMTM, the rehabilitation would be cost-effective with 70% certainty.

CONCLUSION

The rehabilitation programme was not cost-effective compared with standard care, and further development of outpatient protocols may be advisable.