Achieving health outcomes through professional dental care: comparing the cost of dental treatment for children in three practice modes

Health Serv Res. 1984 Jun;19(2):181-96.

Abstract

The search for effective strategies to deal with prevention and treatment of oral disease focuses on children as a natural target population. This article reports data on the comparative costs of delivering dental care to children via (1) a school-based practice using Expanded Function Dental Auxiliaries, (2) a school-based practice without EFDAs, and (3) a group of unrelated private dental practices operating independent of the school system. Utilization of a dentist's services varied significantly between the children assigned to private care and those assigned to the school-based programs, but it cost less per patient to provide dental treatment through the private practitioners. If school-based practices are clearly more effective in reducing dental disease, in the long run the need for manpower and resources in these programs might be lowered to a point where they will become more cost-effective than private practices. If the two delivery modes are equally effective in reducing dental disease, however, results from the study indicate that private practices are more cost-effective and will probably maintain their cost-effective advantage over school-based programs.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Child
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis
  • Dental Auxiliaries / statistics & numerical data
  • Dental Health Services / economics*
  • Humans
  • Pediatric Dentistry / economics*
  • Pennsylvania
  • Private Practice / economics
  • School Dentistry / economics*
  • Workforce