Elevating the use of sugar-free chewing gum in Germany: cost saving and caries prevention

To analyse the lifetime monetary and health related effects of the consumption of sugar-free chewing gum.

Using a Markov model we assumed that the German consumption of sugar-free chewing gum (111 gums/year) could be elevated to the level of Finland (202 gums/year). The calculation was based on a model patient representing the development of oral health from the age of 12 to 74 years and clinical data on the effectiveness of chewing sugar-free gum. Lifetime and yearly costs for the 'Finland-scenario' were determined and compared with the actual German expenses of the statutory health insurance companies for dental health.

The actual total lifetime expenditures of the statutory health insurance companies are 17,199.96€ per capita and would be 12,188.94€ in the scenario with elevated consumption of sugar-free chewing gum in Germany. Thus, 5011.02€ per capita could be saved in a lifetime and 80.82€ per year.

On a national scale, the elevation of the consumption of sugar-free chewing gum in Germany to the level of Finland would lead to a considerable benefit for cost saving and oral health for the statutory health insurance companies.