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- Title
Costo de la atención odontológica por caries dental en estudiantes preuniversitarios mexicanos.
- Authors
de la Fuente-Hernández, Javier; Sifuentes-Valenzuela, María Cristina; Ortega-Maldonado, Miriam; de Cossío, Marcela González
- Abstract
Objective: Estimate the cost of dental care generated by the dental decay prevalence in high school students at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out with a population of 78,870 high schoolers (conducted between the years 2003 and 2005). The need for dental caries treatment was determined by the decayed, missing and filled teeth index (DMFT) as it is indicated at the Automated Medical Exam (EMA, acronym in Spanish). The estimation of dental care cost included a combination of direct (dental materials) and indirect costs (protection barriers) per tooth and treatment needed, using the price list for patients attending the dental service at the dental school of UNAM as a reference. Results: 47.3% of the students presented dental cavities, 31.9% lost teeth, and 59.1% had fillings. Minimum dental care expense estimated for decayed teeth (105,029) was $27,832,685 and $77,878,530 (Mexican pesos) for lost teeth (101,802). Statistically significant differences were found when comparing dental caries prevalence and gender. Conclusions: The high dental care costs estimated for the population of high school students studied makes relevant the need for the development of programs and goals at the secondary and tertiary education levels. They should emphasize self-care.
- Subjects
MEXICO; COST of dental care; DENTAL caries; DENTAL fillings; HEALTH self-care; TOOTH loss; UNIVERSIDAD Nacional Autonoma de Mexico; STUDENTS
- Publication
Universitas Odontológica, 2010, Vol 29, Issue 63, p67
- ISSN
0120-4319
- Publication type
Article