Longitudinal and cross-sectional study of factors related to dental care cost

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We examined the effect of periodontal disease on medical and dental costs and utilization for 3.5 years prospectively. The data used were derived from health and dental examinations and health insurance claims of 4 285 Japanese civil officers aged 40-59. The cumulative cost for those with severe periodontitis was approximately 21% higher than those with no pathological pocket, and the admission rates of those with severe periodontitis were highest [male: odds ratio (OR) =1.34 ; female : OR=1.29]. In males, the annual hospital costs of those with severe periodontitis were 75% higher than those with no pathological pocket. The annual dental visit rates and costs of those with severe periodontitis were highest in both sexes. Periodontal disease might raise the medical care costs for diabetes mellitus, digestive disease, and liver disease. Periodontal disease impacts health care cost increases through not only dental care costs but also inpatient care costs, especially in males.A cross-sec … More tional study was performed using data from 1381 Japanese civil service officers aged 20-59 years old. Psychological well-being was measured with the 12-item version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), while measures for oral condition included self-rated oral health, oral symptoms and clinical indicators: dental caries, periodontal status and number of missing teeth. Psychological well-being was not associated significantly with dental caries, periodontal status or number of missing teeth. The adjusted means of the GHQ scores for 'conscious of appearance of mouth' were significantly different among the categories for both genders. For five of six oral symptoms, the adjusted means of GHQ scores were lowest for those respondents who rated their oral symptoms as 'never or hardly ever.' Our results did not show that psychological well-being was associated with oral conditions measured by clinical indicators. However, an association was found between some oral symptoms and psychological well-being. Less