Willingness to Pay for Mandibular Overdentures: A Societal Perspective

Area of Science:

• Dental Public Health
• Health Economics
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Dental services are often funded out-of-pocket, making patient valuation crucial for treatment acceptance.
• Understanding patient willingness to pay (WTP) for advanced dental prosthetics like implant overdentures is essential for service planning and coverage decisions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the WTP for implant-retained overdentures among individuals not currently using dentures.
• To identify factors influencing variations in WTP for implant overdentures, considering different payment scenarios (out-of-pocket, private insurance, public financing).

Main Methods:

• A representative Canadian sample was surveyed via internet or telephone.
• Respondents indicated their WTP across three payment scenarios: self-funding, private insurance, and public tax-based financing.
• Regression models analyzed determinants of WTP, including personal data like age and income.

Main Results:

• The average WTP for implant overdentures among dentate/partially edentate participants was $5,347.
• For a 1-in-5 chance of becoming edentate, individuals were willing to pay $26.93 monthly for private insurance and $103.63 annually for public funding.
• WTP for private insurance increased significantly with higher household income and greater dental needs.

Conclusions:

• This preference study offers valuable insights for dentists, insurers, and policymakers regarding the perceived value of implant overdentures.
• Findings highlight patient willingness to pay for direct treatment, insurance coverage, and public financing options for implant overdentures.