Assessment of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of fluoride varnish application program in nine- to 30-month-old children in the well-baby clinics: a case study in three provinces
Abstract:
This study evaluated the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and cost-benefit of a fluoride varnish application program during well-child visits in young children in three Thai provinces. Four hundred sixty children, who were 15 22 months old, were included in this retro-prospective cohort study. Data on dental caries associated factors and plaque score were collected at baseline. Number of the fluoride varnish application visits between 9 30 months old for each child was collected. At the end of the study, an oral examination and a treatment need assessment were done. Quadratic regression model was constructed to identify the association between fluoride varnish application visits and number of decayed, missing due to caries and filled teeth (dmft) with adjustment for dental caries related factors. Cost and outcomes were estimated based on dental personnels survey, hospital procurement data and caregivers survey. The result shows a significant association between the number of fluoride varnish application visits and dmft (p=0.036). The dmft of children who attend at least visit in the program groups were significantly lower than the dmft of no program group after adjusting for the dental caries related factors [-1.31 (95% CI: -2.39, -0.23), -2.08 (95% CI: -3.73, -0.42), -2.31 (95% CI: -4.14, -0.48) and -2.01 (95% CI: -3.93, -0.09), respectively]. In addition, the fluoride varnish application program appears to be a cost-effective and cost-benefit intervention for dental caries prevention from the provider's and patient's perspectives (ICER = -427.81 and -416.56, Net benefit = 543.32 and 529.03 THB, respectively). These findings suggest that children between 9 30 months old should attend at least three visits of the fluoride varnish application program during their well-child visits.