Abstract
BackgroundTo analyze the potential cost savings in dental care associated with increased sugar-free gum (SFG) use among Chinese teenagers and adults.MethodsThe amount of SFG chewed per year and decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) was collected from a cross-sectional survey to create a dose–response curve assumption. A cost analysis of dental restoration costs was carried out. A budget impact analysis was performed to model the decrease in DMFT and the subsequent cost savings for dental care. Three different scenarios for the increase in the number of SFG were calculated.ResultsThe average cost savings per person in the Chinese population due to increasing SFG use ranged from 45.95 RMB (6.94 USD) per year to 67.41 RMB (10.19 USD) per year. It was estimated that 21.51–31.55 billion RMB (3.25–4.77 billion USD) could be saved annually if all SFG chewers among Chinese teenagers and adults chewed SFG regularly.ConclusionThis study suggests that dental care costs could be significantly reduced if SFG use increased in the Chinese population.
Highlights
To analyze the potential cost savings in dental care associated with increased sugar-free gum (SFG) use among Chinese teenagers and adults
Chewing gum stimulates the secretion of saliva, and as the flow rate of saliva increases, so does the concentration of calcium, phosphate and bicarbonate in the saliva, which is conducive to the remineralization of dental crystals [13]
Survey subjects and contents Considering that the oral health care consciousness and the use of SFG may vary in areas with different levels of economic development, we roughly divided into economically developed areas and economically less developed areas according to the regional economic development level
Summary
To analyze the potential cost savings in dental care associated with increased sugar-free gum (SFG) use among Chinese teenagers and adults. Unlike the public approach of using fluoride to prevent dental caries at the national or regional level [8], chewing gum, as a mechanical aid to remove oral biofilm, is a preventive measure to enhance dental health at the individual level. There is evidence of a causal relationship between sugar-free gum (SFG) consumption and reduced tooth demineralization and between SFG consumption and reduced incidence of dental caries [10, 11]. Chewing SFG can improve the removal of food debris from the mouth, increase the pH of dental plaque, and reduce dry mouth and gingival inflammation [14, 15]
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