Global affordability of fluoride toothpaste.

Ann S Goldman,Christopher J Holmgren,Habib Benzian,Robert Yee

doi:10.1186/1744-8603-4-7

Abstract

ObjectiveDental caries remains the most common disease worldwide and the use of fluoride toothpaste is a most effective preventive public health measure to prevent it. Changes in diets following globalization contribute to the development of dental caries in emerging economies. The aim of this paper is to compare the cost and relative affordability of fluoride toothpaste in high-, middle- and low-income countries. The hypothesis is that fluoride toothpaste is not equally affordable in high-, middle- and low-income countries.MethodsData on consumer prices of fluoride toothpastes were obtained from a self-completion questionnaire from 48 countries. The cost of fluoride toothpaste in high-, middle- and low-income countries was compared and related to annual household expenditure as well as to days of work needed to purchase the average annual usage of toothpaste per head.ResultsThe general trend seems to be that the proportion of household expenditure required to purchase the annual dosage of toothpaste increases as the country's per capita household expenditure decreases. While in the UK for the poorest 30% of the population only 0.037 days of household expenditure is needed to purchase the annual average dosage (182.5 g) of the lowest cost toothpaste, 10.75 days are needed in Kenya. The proportion of annual household expenditure ranged from 0.02% in the UK to 4% in Zambia to buy the annual average amount of lowest cost toothpaste per head.ConclusionSignificant inequalities in the affordability of this essential preventive care product indicate the necessity for action to make it more affordable. Various measures to improve affordability based on experiences from essential pharmaceuticals are proposed.

Highlights

Globalization has provoked changes in many facets of human life, in diet
Data on consumer prices of fluoride toothpastes were obtained from a self-completion questionnaire from 48 countries
Untreated dental caries in pre-school children is associated with poorer quality of life, discomfort, and difficulties in ingesting food that can result in failure to gain weight and impaired cognitive development [6]

Summary

Introduction

Globalization has provoked changes in many facets of human life, in diet. Trends in the development of dental caries in population have traditionally followed developmental patterns where, as economies grow and populations have access to a wider variety of food products as a result of more income and trade, the rate of tooth decay begins to increase. Rapid globalization of many economies has accelerated this process [1] These dietary changes have a substantial (page number not for citation purposes). Dental caries is a global health problem [5] and has a significant negative impact on quality of life, economic productivity, adult and children's general health and development. Untreated dental caries in pre-school children is associated with poorer quality of life, discomfort, and difficulties in ingesting food that can result in failure to gain weight and impaired cognitive development [6]. Since low-income countries cannot afford dental restorative treatment [7] and in general the poor are most vulnerable to the impacts of illness, they should be afforded a greater degree of protection

Methods

Results

Conclusion