Expert says supervised tooth brushing schemes for children could save NHS millions of pounds
A dental expert from Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry has undertaken research which reveals that schemes for children which involve supervised tooth brushing could save the NHS millions of pounds.
Professor Elizabeth Kay, a leading dental health researcher, has carried out the first economic evaluation of public health measures in place to reduce tooth decay in children who are at risk.
Action to prevent tooth decay in children, for example supervised tooth brushing and fluoride varnish schemes, could mean that the NHS may be able to save hundreds of pounds per child.
Currently, almost 26,000 children a year between the ages of five and nine are admitted to hospital to receive dental treatment under general and local anaesthetic in the UK, for conditions which can be prevented through better understanding of oral and dental health, as well as from the adoption of regular good oral health routines.
In the study, Professor Kay found that preventive schemes which were targeted at children who had a high risk of suffering from poor oral health would be considered to be cost-effective. These schemes included tooth brushing, which would cost £46 per year per child, and fluoride varnish schemes which cost £62 per child per year.
These schemes are all cheaper than the cost of surgical treatments in hospital, and they represent a saving of hundreds of pounds per child in comparison to such treatments. Professor Kay’s model showed that supervised brushing and fluoride varnish schemes are cost-effective options for children at high risk of oral disease.
Professor Kay’s research is in association with the National Institute for Health and Care (NICE) and the York Health Economic Consortium. She presented her results at this year’s British Society for Oral and Dental Research Annual Meeting in Cardiff.
