Tooth replacement for partially dentate elders: A willingness-to-pay analysis.

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Dentistry
• Prosthodontics
• Health Economics

Background:

• Partially dentate elders often face tooth replacement decisions, with Removable Partial Dentures (RPDs) and Shortened Dental Arch (SDA) being common options.
• Understanding patient willingness-to-pay (WTP) is crucial for treatment acceptance and resource allocation in geriatric dental care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the willingness-to-pay (WTP) of partially dentate elders for Removable Partial Dentures (RPDs) and Shortened Dental Arch (SDA) treatment.
• To assess WTP for dental implant treatment in the same patient cohort.
• To identify factors influencing WTP for different tooth replacement strategies.

Main Methods:

• 55 partially dentate elders from a previous RCT were surveyed using the payment card method to determine WTP for RPDs, SDA, and dental implants.
• Data on social class, income, and previous treatment allocation were collected.
• Mann-Whitney U tests and multiple linear regression analyses were used to compare WTP and identify predictive factors.

Main Results:

• Patients previously provided with RPDs had a significantly higher WTP for RPDs (€550) compared to those who received SDA treatment (€500).
• Conversely, patients previously provided with RPDs also showed a higher WTP for SDA treatment (€650) than those who received SDA (€550).
• Current income and previous treatment significantly correlated with WTP. WTP for dental implants was low (€1000 market value, €500-1000 median WTP).

Conclusions:

• Previous treatment experience and current income strongly influenced willingness-to-pay in this cohort.
• Despite higher stated WTP for RPDs in some scenarios, both groups expressed a strong preference for functionally oriented care (SDA) over conventional RPDs.
• Partially dentate elders favor functionally oriented tooth replacement strategies over conventional RPDs.