ArticleBMC oral health2019
The cost-utility of school-based first permanent molar sealants programs: a Markov model.
Article in BMC oral health, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 19 citations in OpenAlex.
- Health and Economic Impact of a Large-Scale School-Based Pit and Fissure Sealant Program in Dongguan, China: A Real-World Program Evaluation.International journal of dentistry · 2026Article
- Dental Caries and Associated Factors in Tibetan School-Age Children in Gannan, China.International dental journal · 2025Article
- A cost-effectiveness analysis of fluoride varnish application in preventing Root caries in elderly persons: a Markov simulation study.BMC oral health · 2024Article
- Quality-Adjusted Life Year Proxies for Caries in Primary Dentition: A Discrete Choice Experiment.JDR clinical and translational research · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundEvidence of the cost-effectiveness of school-based first permanent molar sealants programs is not yet fully conclusive. The aim of this study was to determine the incremental cost-utility ratio (ICUR) of school-based prevention programs for the application of sealants in molars of schoolchildren compared with non-intervention.
methodsA cost-utility analysis based on a Markov model was carried out using probability distribution. The utility was measured in quality-adjusted tooth years (QATY). The assessment was carried out from the public payer's perspective with a six-year time horizon. Costs and benefits were discounted at 3% per year. Only direct costs were evaluated, expressed in Chilean pesos (CLP) at 7th May at 2019 values (exchange rate USD = CLP 681.09). Univariate deterministic sensitivity analysis and probabilistic analysis were carried out.
resultsAfter a six-year follow up, the cost of sealing all first permanent molars was found to be higher than non-intervention, with a mean cost difference of USD 1.28 (CLP 875) per molar treated. The "seal all" strategy was more effective than non-intervention, generating 0.2 quality-adjusted tooth years more than non-intervention. The ICUR of the "seal all" strategy compared to non-intervention was USD 6.48 (CLP 4,412) per quality-adjusted tooth years. The sensitivity analysis showed that the increase in caries was the variable which most influenced the ICUR.
conclusionsA school-based sealant program is a cost-effective measure in populations with a high prevalence of caries.
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Registered trials
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