Biomaterial Database

Economic evaluation in dentistry: an ethical imperative? 1998

C Donaldson

Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis, McMaster University, Ontario.

In this paper a case is made for the use of principles and techniques of economic evaluation to aid the planning of oral health services. The reader is taken through a case study, which highlights not only the importance of economic principles but also the challenges involved in carrying out economic evaluations in dentistry. These challenges need to be faced if oral health services are to be planned in a way that is of maximum benefit to the community.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011313	Preventive Dentistry	The branch of dentistry concerned with the prevention of disease and the maintenance and promotion of oral health.	Dentistries, Preventive,Dentistry, Preventive,Preventive Dentistries
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D003149	Community Dentistry	The practice of dentistry concerned with preventive as well as diagnostic and treatment programs in a circumscribed population.	Dentistry, Community
D003362	Cost-Benefit Analysis	A method of comparing the cost of a program with its expected benefits in dollars (or other currency). The benefit-to-cost ratio is a measure of total return expected per unit of money spent. This analysis generally excludes consideration of factors that are not measured ultimately in economic terms. In contrast a cost effectiveness in general compares cost with qualitative outcomes.	Cost and Benefit,Cost-Benefit Data,Benefits and Costs,Cost Benefit,Cost Benefit Analysis,Cost-Utility Analysis,Costs and Benefits,Economic Evaluation,Marginal Analysis,Analyses, Cost Benefit,Analysis, Cost Benefit,Analysis, Cost-Benefit,Analysis, Cost-Utility,Analysis, Marginal,Benefit and Cost,Cost Benefit Analyses,Cost Benefit Data,Cost Utility Analysis,Cost-Benefit Analyses,Cost-Utility Analyses,Data, Cost-Benefit,Economic Evaluations,Evaluation, Economic,Marginal Analyses
D003729	Dental Care	The total of dental diagnostic, preventive, and restorative services provided to meet the needs of a patient (from Illustrated Dictionary of Dentistry, 1982).	Care, Dental
D003752	Dental Health Services	Services designed to promote, maintain, or restore dental health.	Health Services, Dental,Services, Dental Health,Dental Health Service,Health Service, Dental,Service, Dental Health
D004990	Ethics, Dental	The principles of proper professional conduct concerning the rights and duties of the dentist, relations with patients and fellow practitioners, as well as actions of the dentist in patient care and interpersonal relations with patient families. (From Stedman, 25th ed)	Dental Ethics,Dental Ethic,Ethic, Dental
D006113	United Kingdom	Country in northwestern Europe including Great Britain and the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland, located between the North Sea and north Atlantic Ocean. The capital is London.	Great Britain,Isle of Man
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man