ArticlePloS one2022
The cost- effectiveness of early dental visit in infants and toddlers focused on regional deprivation in South Korea: A retrospective cohort study.
Article in PloS one, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 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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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.
- Discounting Practices in Cost-Effectiveness Analyses in Dentistry: A Systematic Review of Studies Published After 2020.ClinicoEconomics and outcomes research : CEOR · 2026Review
- Handling uncertainty in cost-effectiveness analysis in dental medicine: a systematic review with a focus on affordability and risk-aversion.Cost effectiveness and resource allocation : C/E · 2025Review
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Authors and funding
2 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe aims of this study are to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of early dental visits (EDVs) and to investigate how regional deprivation impacts the economic evaluation.
methodsThis study used the South Korea National Health Insurance database, which included medical claim data and voluntary-based oral examination data. The subjects of this study included whole participants for oral examinations for infants and toddlers of the National Health Insurance Corporation. A retrospective cohort study was designed and measured all oral treatments, costs, and number of visits for 208,969 children (experimental group, 101,768; non- experimental group, 107,201) who underwent oral examination for infants and toddlers from 2007 to 2014. The cost-effectiveness was measured using the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, and the T-health index was used as the measurement for effectiveness. In addition, the difference in the effect according to the level of regional deprivation was confirmed.
resultsThe findings of this study showed that EDVs were cost-effective and that children who participated in EDVs had better oral health (T-health-2 index difference 0.32 point in most deprived regions) and needed 5 USD less costly dental treatments than those who did not have EDVs. The cost-effectiveness of EDVs varied according to the level of regional deprivation and was the highest in the most deprived regions.
conclusionsThe study findings suggested that the provision of oral examination for infants and toddlers was a cost-effective dental policy. Additionally, EDVs were more effective in children who resided in the most deprived regions, a finding that will lead to the development of policy intervention to improve dental care despite spatial inequality for disadvantaged population groups. Regarding the distribution of dental hospitals/clinics, incentive based dental polices for either dental providers or patients are needed that will assure the delivery of dental care despite spatial inequality.
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