Cost‐effectiveness of various treatment modalities for adult chronic periodontitis

The aim of this review was to assess the cost-effectiveness of various modalities for chronic periodontitis in adults. We searched the literature for studies where time consumption and monetary costs (where available) were used as expressions of the resources required to perform the following types of services: providing information on the disease and oral hygiene instruction for patients; removal of subgingival calculus; access surgery; and maintenance and prevention of recurrence of the disease. The following outcome variables were chosen: retention of teeth, or a surrogate variable such as change in bone level measured on X-rays taken at the start and at the end of a 1-year (or longer) period. The literature search did not reveal any studies where these outcome variables could be linked to information on resources used in treatment. Therefore, we reviewed relevant studies where different treatment techniques were used but where the outcome variables were different. This review revealed that in most cases it was difficult to assess whether one type of treatment (or intervention) is more effective than another. We conclude that better data are needed, in particular on outcomes, so that valid comparisons can be made between different types of treatment, for different types of studies. Periodontal disease is an inflammatory disease induced by bacterial plaque adhering to the tooth surface in contact with the gingiva. A lesion that is contained in the gingival margin is termed gingivitis. Gingivitis may be regarded as the result of an