IADR/AADR Address Financial Burden of Dental Diseases
IADR AADR Address Financial Burden of Dental Diseases Dental disease creates significant financial burdens, and access to care problems in both the United States and abroad limit the ability of many patients to seek necessary treatment for oral health problems,
IADR/AADR Address Financial Burden of Dental Diseases
Dental disease creates significant financial burdens, and access-to-care problems in both the United States and abroad limit the ability of many patients to seek necessary treatment for oral health problems, pushing treatment costs up as patients turn to hospital emergency departments for treatment. The International and American Associations for Dental Research’s (IADR/AADR) article “Global Economic Impact of Dental Diseases,” which was published online by the Journal of Dental Research, sought to investigate the global economic impact of untreated oral health problems.
Using the World Health Organization’s recommended approach to calculate indirect costs, which include productivity losses due to missed work, it was estimated that $144 billion is indirectly spent on oral diseases worldwide each year. Direct treatment costs, the authors concluded, total $298 billion annually, which equates to 4.6% of global health costs. The authors suggest that improving oral health will provide significant economic benefits, including not only a reduction in health care expenditures, but also a decrease in absenteeism in the labor force.
Hygiene Connection E-Newsletter
October 2015
