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| Year : 2010 | Volume
: 8
| Issue : 16 | Page : 208-214 |
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An Economic Analysis of willingness to pay for Root Canal Treatment for Dental caries in Thoothukudi District, Tamilnadu
S Manickam1, R Selvakumar2, Pethuru Devadason3
1 Registrar, Manonmaniam Sundarannr University, India
2 Research Scholar, Department of Economics, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, India
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Conununity Medicine, SMIMS, Kulasckharam, India
Correspondence Address:
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
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Introduction: Dental caries and periodontal diseases are common and chronic diseases are affirming the modern societies. To a great extent, their prevention and control depend on a person's life style and health seeking behavior. Willingness to pay (WTP) measures an individual's strength of preference for an intervention by the maximum amount of money an individual would sacrifice for that intervention.
Objectives: The objectives of this study were: 1) to assess the willingness to pay (WTP) for anterior root canal treatment (RCT) and 2) to analyze the factors associated with willingness to pay.
Materials and Methods: 400 patients treated at 4 clinics in Thoothukudi District during the month of March 2010 were selected. The patients between the age of 18 and 50 as the most productive age group were considered for the study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the relevant data from the patients at their home.
Results: The range in WTP for an anterior RCT was Rs. 1750 (from Rs. 1625 to Rs.3375). The mean WTP for an anterior RCT was Rs. 1954.37. Age, education, monthly income and predominant non vegetarian food habit have the significant association with the WTP for anterior RCT.
Conclusions: There is lack of awareness on oral health or the poor paying habit of people for root canal treatment. Educational status which is a proxy for income and wealth status has the significant association with anterior RCT. So the literacy and health education are important factors to create awareness to save the tooth instead of extracting it. |
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