While oral health conditions like Tooth Decay and Gum Disease are preventable, they are very common conditions. Now, a report has looked into global expenditure on preventable oral health conditions – with concerning results. The findings underline the importance of having strong oral health. It also shows the financial burden caused by the treatment of preventable oral health conditions.
Oral health conditions like Tooth Decay and Gum Disease are preventable through measures like regular toothbrushing and flossing, eating healthily, and regular trips to the dentist.
However, for numerous reasons, these conditions are very common. In fact, a recent report has revealed that almost 5% of entire global health expenditure is spent on preventable oral health conditions [1].
This finding shows that many people are neglecting their oral health, and that preventable conditions are proving to be burdensome to healthcare costs.
Commissioned Report
These findings have been produced in a report called “Time to put your money where your mouth is: Addressing inequalities in oral health”, which was commissioned by the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) [1].
This report looked in detail at the burden caused by gum disease and tooth decay [1]. The report aimed to propose a plan that could be implemented to try and address in the inequality in oral healthcare [1].
The report pointed out that tooth decay affects more than two billion people around the world, whereas gum disease affects over one billion people [1]. This emphasizes the need for action in terms of improving oral healthcare.
Creation of a cost calculator
Moreover, the report also involved the creation of a tooth decay prevention and care cost calculator. This calculator sought to find out the direct treatment costs that these conditions cause [1].
Incredibly, direct treatment costs totalled $357 billion per year, which represents 4.9% of global health expenditure [1]. These huge numbers underline the high costs involved in treating preventable conditions.
Additionally, the calculator suggested that severe tooth decay, gum disease and tooth loss contributed significantly to a loss in productivity. Therefore, this resulted in the worldwide economy losing an estimated $188 billion per year [1].
Costs associated with tooth decay
Additionally, the calculator estimated the long-term direct costs associated with managing tooth decay in those aged 12-65 in six countries – Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Indonesia and the United Kingdom [1].
This revealed some interesting results. The report found that the overall cost caused by tooth decay varied from $10.3 billion in Italy to $36.2 billion in Brazil [1]. The authors of the report explained that this difference was in part due to the range in population sizes in these six nations [1].
Interestingly, the largest costs per person due to tooth decay were in the United Kingdom – with a total of $22,910 per person. The United Kingdom has recently been gripped by a dental crisis – leading the British government to admit an “urgent and fundamental reform of NHS dentistry” is needed [2]. Conversely, Indonesia featured the lowest amount at $7,414 per person [1].
How can the situation be improved?
The findings are concerning, but do at least provide researchers with the statistics that underline the need for improvement in the prevention of oral health conditions.
Professor Nicola West is the secretary general at the EFP. She says that the report offers “a timely reminder that there is no overall health without oral health” [3].
Moreover, West has called on “policy makers and budget holders to put their money where their mouth is” and make changes as soon as possible [3].
The authors suggest that targeting common risk factors like tobacco and alcohol use, and diet, that both oral health and wider physical health problems like cardiovascular conditions, can be helped [1].
Furthermore, the authors point out that there are simple preventable measures, which includes brushing with fluoridated toothpaste, applying topical fluoride and strategically targeting different stages of tooth decay development to take action [3].
The findings of the report are certainly concerning. It emphasizes the importance of oral health, and underlines how action is needed to tackle the current situation.
Thinking points…
1) As this article has shown, it is very important to try and prevent oral health problems. Prevention is easier than needing to receive treatment. Therefore, remember to have excellent oral hygiene and attend regular dental check-ups. These check-ups offer a dentist the chance to take a look at your oral health and provide advice and treatment options if needed. We recommend that you book an appointment now!
2) This article has also looked at gum disease, which is an incredibly common condition. While there is no cure for gum disease, there are treatments that can help. These include root planing and scaling. These can help the health of your gums and wider oral health. You could have a discussion with your dentist about these options if needed!
What we offer at Savanna Dental
Savanna Dental is a Calgary dental clinic that provide its patients with a range of treatment options and advice, with the aim of improving oral health and boosting overall wellbeing!
We advise our patients to attend our Calgary-based dental clinic twice a year for a dental check-up. If any problems are detected, we have many treatments available. For instance, these include cavity fillings and root canals. To try and prevent problems, it is important to brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss regularly.
Here at Savanna Dental, we also have some cosmetic treatments available! These include dental implants, tooth whitening and Invisalign™! Our patients find that these treatments have a positive impact on their appearance, confidence and self-esteem.
In addition, the fees of our services at our Calgary dental clinic Savanna Dental are set in line with the Alberta Dental Fee Guide.
We would love you to visit our Savanna Dental clinic in Calgary! You can find out more about us by visiting our website https://savannadentalclinic.ca.
References
[1] The Economist Group. (2024). Time to put your money where your mouth is: Addressing inequalities in oral health. Available: https://www.efp.org/fileadmin/uploads/efp/Documents/Other_publications/EIxEFP_-_Oral_Health_white_paper_FINAL.pdf. Last accessed: 16th February 2024.
[2] UK Parliament. (2023). Fundamental reform of NHS dentistry needed to end a ‘crisis of access’. Available: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/81/health-and-social-care-committee/news/196443/fundamental-reform-of-nhs-dentistry-needed-to-end-a-crisis-of-access/. Last accessed: 16th February 2024.
[3] European Federation of Periodontology. (2024). Treatment of preventable gum disease, caries and tooth loss totals 4.9% of global health care expenditure: Report. Available: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-02-treatment-gum-disease-caries-tooth.html. Last accessed: 16th February 2024.
