title: Cost-benefit analysis of a worksite oral-health promotion program.
abstract: This study was conducted to examine whether oral-health promotion programs provided as an occupational health service for employees were cost-beneficial for employers. The subjects were composed of 357 male workers (20-59 yr of age) who participated in oral-health promotion programs conducted at their workplaces between 1992 and 1997. The design of this study was a quasi-experimental study design in which the three programs (light: 1 visit; medium: 2-4 visits; and heavy: 5-6 visits) were compared through cost-benefit analysis conducted from the viewpoint of the employers. The programs consisted of oral-health checkups by dentists and oral-health education, including that on the proper brushing method, by dental hygienists. The costs of the program included direct costs for the payment of oral-health-care staff and for teaching materials, and indirect costs for the time for employee participation in the program (20 min/employee per visit). The accumulated dental expenses for the seven years were used to calculate benefits, which were determined, based on the differences between 0 visits and each program. The benefit/cost ratios of the three programs were -2.45, 1.46, and 0.73, respectively. These results suggest that a worksite oral-health promotion program of medium frequency is cost-beneficial for employers.
authors.affiliation: The Lion Foundation for Dental Health, 3--7, Honjo 1-chome, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 130-8644, Japan.
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ichihashi
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Muto
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shibuya
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005250:Fees, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D017132:Workplace