Dental News - Prevention of periodontal disease could save billions

EFP

Fri. 9. July 2021

save

BRUSSELS, Belgium: The European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) recently commissioned the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a provider of forecasting and advisory services, to perform an analysis on the financial and human cost of periodontal disease in six western European countries. Overall, the results show that preventing new cases of periodontitis by eliminating gingivitis would save up to €101 billion over a ten-year period.

Periodontitis is largely preventable with good oral hygiene and regular dental check-ups, yet in western Europe, developments in the prevention and management of the disease appear to have stagnated, according to the report. The prevalence of periodontitis has remained largely unchanged over the last ten years and awareness of the disease among the general public and non-oral healthcare professionals is poor.

Few studies have modelled the economic burden of periodontitis and return on investment (ROI) of treatment, particularly across different countries. The EIU analysts developed a model to examine the ROI of prevention and management of periodontitis. Separate modelling was performed for France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK. The following overview summarises the projected economic outcomes per country for the scenario in which gingivitis is eliminated over a ten-year period.

France:

Projected savings over a ten-year period: €10.34 billion
ROI of every euro invested in eliminating gingivitis: €40.40
Cost per healthy life year after ten years: €18.00 (compared with €39.00 with the current strategy, visiting the dentist only when a problem emerges).

Germany:

Projected savings over a ten-year period: €10.04 billion
ROI of every euro invested in eliminating gingivitis: €57.50
Cost per healthy life year after ten years: €19.00 (compared with €35.00 with the current strategy, visiting the dentist only when a problem emerges).

Italy:

Projected savings over a ten-year period: €35.83 billion
ROI of every euro invested in eliminating gingivitis: €15.20
Cost per healthy life year after ten years: €114.00 (compared with €183.00 with the current strategy, visiting the dentist only when a problem emerges).

The Netherlands:

Projected savings over a ten-year period: €7.76 billion
ROI of every euro invested in eliminating gingivitis: €18.70
Cost per healthy life year after ten years: €82.00 (compared with €142.00 with the current strategy, visiting the dentist only when a problem emerges).

Spain:

Projected savings over a ten-year period: €12.70 billion
ROI of every euro invested in eliminating gingivitis: €19.80
Cost per healthy life year after ten years: €36.00 (compared with €72.00 with the current strategy, visiting the dentist only when a problem emerges).

The UK (out of pocket):

Projected savings over a ten-year period: €24.68 billion (£21.16 billion)
ROI of every euro invested in eliminating gingivitis: €23.92 (£20.50)
Cost per healthy life year after ten years: €50.00 (£42.87; compared with €91.00 [£78.00] with the current strategy, visiting the dentist only when a problem emerges).

The authors noted that both eliminating gingivitis and increasing the rate of diagnosing and treating periodontitis to 90% in the modelling had a positive ROI for all countries and gains in healthy life years compared with business as usual. Neglecting management of gingivitis had the opposite effects. The authors highlighted the importance of greater emphasis on self-care and prevention at the individual and societal level, including nursery-based dental care and toothbrushing workshops in schools.

“Dental tariffs and the costs of accessing a dentist is a barrier to early treatment for the general public,” states the paper. The authors concluded that the cost-effectiveness of managing gingivitis and periodontitis shown in this analysis demonstrate that dental costs deserve a review by European policymakers and commissioners.

Tags:

To post a reply please login or register

Periodontal disease increases risk of chronic diseases, including mental ill health

BIRMINGHAM, UK: In a recent study, researchers from the University of Birmingham examined the records of patients having a history of periodontal disease, ...

Gum Health Day 2022 focuses on new guidelines for periodontal disease prevention and treatment

BRUSSELS, Belgium/BIRMINGHAM, UK: Treat your gums” is the slogan for Gum Health Day 2022, a worldwide awareness campaign organised by the European ...

Metformin could help prevent oral and systemic disease in periodontal patients

LONDON, UK: Factors such as glucose metabolism, nutrition, oxidative stress and ageing drive periodontal progression. However, current periodontal ...

Periodontal disease worsens chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

CHENGDU, China: Research has shown a connection between severe periodontal disease and the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). ...

EFP publishes guideline on prevention and treatment of peri-implant diseases

BRUSSELS, Belgium: The European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) has announced a new guideline aimed at helping oral health professionals around the world...

Periodontal disease bacteria linked to higher risk of head and neck cancer

NEW YORK, US: Studies have repeatedly shown that oral bacteria can contribute to periodontal disease. Now, researchers have sought to examine whether there ...

Periodontal disease may be key initiator of rheumatoid arthritis

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands: In recent years, increasing attention has been given to aspects of oral health in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ...

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention release statement on spread of Candida auris

NEW YORK, U.S.: In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a statement declaring that Candida auris is an emerging fungus that ...

Periodontal disease bacterium appears to drive Alzheimer’s disease

LOUISVILLE, KY, U.S.: A new study has shown that Porphyromonas gingivalis, the bacterium commonly associated with chronic periodontal disease, has an ...

Periodontal disease and coronary artery disease share genetic basis

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands: A meta-analysis to be presented at EuroPerio9 has found that periodontal disease and coronary artery disease (CAD) share a common ...

Education

Live webinar
Mon. 28 July 2025
12:30 pm EST (New York)