title: The relationship between oral health risk and disease status and age, and the significance for general dental practice funding by capitation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this paper was to review the oral health and future disease risk scores compiled in the Denplan Excel/Previser Patient Assessment (DEPPA) data base by patient age group, and to consider the significance of these outcomes to general practice funding by capitation payments.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between September 2013 and January 2014 7,787 patient assessments were conducted by about 200 dentists from across the UK using DEPPA. A population study was conducted on this data at all life stages.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The composite Denplan Excel Oral Health Score (OHS) element of DEPPA reduced in a linear fashion with increasing age from a mean value of 85.0 in the 17-24 age group to a mean of 72.6 in patients aged over 75 years. Both periodontal health and tooth health aspects declined with age in an almost linear pattern. DEPPA capitation fee code recommendations followed this trend by advising higher fee codes as patients aged.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As is the case with general health, these contemporary data suggest that the cost of providing oral health care tends to rise significantly with age. Where capitation is used as a method for funding, these costs either need to be passed onto those patients, or a conscious decision made to subsidise older age groups.
authors.affiliation: Dental Advisor, Denplan and Hon Lecturer in Primary Dental Care University of Birmingham.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Busby
authors.affiliation: Private Practice, Pennsylvania, USA; Chief Science Officer, PreViser Corporation, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Chief Dental Officer, Denplan Ltd, Winchester.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.affiliation: Professor of Primary Dental Care, Birmingham School of Dentistry.
authors.forename: F J T
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.affiliation: Professor of Periodontology and Consultant in Restorative Dentistry, Periodontal Research Group and MRC Centre for Immune Regulation, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chapple
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002204:Capitation Fee / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D003753:Dental Health Surveys; D005792:General Practice, Dental / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009909:Oral Health / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult