Cost-effectiveness of Mandibular Two-implant Overdentures and Conventional Dentures in the Edentulous Elderly

Cost-effectiveness of Mandibular Two-implant Overdentures and Conventional Dentures in the Edentulous Elderly
2005
G. Heydecke1, J.R. Penrod1,2, Y. Takanashi1, J.P. Lund1,4, J.S. Feine1,5,*, and J.M. Thomason1,3
Journal of Dental Research

© 2005 International and American Associations for Dental Research

1 Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University, 3640 University Street, M73, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B2, Canada;
2 Centre for the Analysis of Cost-Effective Care, Montreal General Hospital Research Institute, and Department of Economics, McGill University;
3 Dept. of Prosthodontics and Oral Rehabilitation, School of Dental Sciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, United Kingdom;
4 Centre de Recherche en Sciences Neurologiques, Universit» de Montr»al; and
5 Dept. of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University;

* corresponding author, jocelyne.feine@mcgill.ca

ABSTRACT

Implementation of new therapies is usually governed by financial considerations, so efficacy studies should also include cost comparisons. The cost and effectiveness of mandibular conventional dentures (CD, n = 30) and two-implant overdentures (IOD, n = 30) were compared in elderly subjects. Effectiveness (Oral Health Impact Profile, OHIP-20) and cost were measured up to one year post-treatment. Data for subsequent years were estimated by the Delphi method. Using an average life expectancy of 17.9 years, the equalized annual costs (in Canadian dollars) were $399 for CD and $625 for IOD (p < 0.001), and the equalized annual values for the outcome (OHIP-20) were 47.0 for CD and 31.3 for IOD treatment (p < 0.05). These values translate into a yearly additional cost for IOD treatment of $14.41 per OHIP-20 point. These results are key to the implementation of programs to provide this form of therapy for edentulous adults.

KEY WORDS: cost-effectiveness Ô healthcare economics Ô elderly Ô mandible Ô edentulous Ô dental prosthesis Ô dental implants

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