Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Background
Globally, the direct cost of dental caries is approximately $298B yearly, consuming 5-10% of national healthcare budgets. Bitewing radiographs (BWR) are the standard method of diagnosing interproximal dental caries. In Japan, bitewing radiographs are rarely used. This retrospective observational study was conducted to measure the potential economic impact of carious lesions left undiagnosed and untreated due to this omission of bitewing radiographs.Methods
The total number of existing carious lesions, the number of undiagnosed lesions, and costs of treating these lesions were calculated from the national database of Ministry of Health, Labor and Wellness in Japan between June 2013 and 2017. The number of affected teeth was estimated using prevalence data and undiagnosed lesions were estimated. The expense associated with treating progressed lesions was calculated using the standard Japanese fee structure. BWR trends were assessed, and analyses were performed to understand the differences between states and populations over time.Results
The average number of BWR taken monthly per office was 48.3±1.1 (average ± SD). It was calculated that an average of 6,429,155 lesions went undiagnosed per month, 93.5 teeth per practice, and 1.6 teeth per patient. The cost of treating lesions that went undiagnosed and then progressed into more invasive restorations was estimated to be between $57M-$218M more (difference between NaF varnish and class II restorations), and $150M-$443M more (difference between Class II restoration and crown or crown with RCT).Conclusions
BWRs are crucial in diagnosing a significant number of carious lesions. There is considerable impact on health and cost to the national health system due to undiagnosed lesions. Practitioners need to be educated on reading and understanding BWR, and policy should be changed to cover BWR.
SUBMITTER: Grieco P
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8825540 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Grieco Peter P Jivraj Ashiana A Da Silva John J Kuwajima Yukinori Y Ishida Yoshiki Y Ogawa Kaho K Ohyama Hiroe H Ishikawa-Nagai Shigemi S
Annals of translational medicine 20220101 1
<h4>Background</h4>Globally, the direct cost of dental caries is approximately $298B yearly, consuming 5-10% of national healthcare budgets. Bitewing radiographs (BWR) are the standard method of diagnosing interproximal dental caries. In Japan, bitewing radiographs are rarely used. This retrospective observational study was conducted to measure the potential economic impact of carious lesions left undiagnosed and untreated due to this omission of bitewing radiographs.<h4>Methods</h4>The total nu ...[more]