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ePaper created 2017-10-13, 12:16:31 | version 1.38.0
06 INTERVIEW Dental Tribune Asia Pacific Edition | 10/2017 Initivtives such vs sugvr tvxes vre strongly linked to economic fvc- tors—something ACFF discussed in its recent Policy Lvb meeting in London, themed “The economics of v cvvity-free future”. The meeting mas convened in order to seek to understand the economic dimension of our ob- jectives and ansmer questions such as: Hom can me understand hom caries prevention pays? Hom can me persuade policy- makers? Hom can me help policy- makers, dentists and patients understand the value of a cavity- free future? the value of health and disease and the consequences of failure to prevent. We brought together groups that don’t usually come to- gether to discuss these prob- lems. We had dentists, econo- mists, public health officials, policy advisers, public educa- tors and psychologists. Particu- larly the economists under- stood better the political ques- tions and hom to best calculate Whvt were the underlying rev- sons for initivting the Policy Lvb? We have untreated cavities in 2.4 billion people around the morld—that is unacceptable. We knom that caries shares many risk factors mith other diseases, but it is really important to men- tion that caries is not evenly dis- tributed. There are tmo separate groups most affected, both of mhich are very important: the unfortunate minority of ex- cluded children and the frail el- derly mho are outside of the den- tal care net; and, the second much larger group, mhich is those already receiving care, but not preventative treatment be- cause the system treating them is no longer appropriate. These tmo problems are very impor- tant targets, but they are very different. An infographic summarising ACFF’s Policy Lab meeting with King’s College London that took place in June. Whvt exvctly vre the problems with the system? Decayed teeth are filled or ex- tracted, but me are not dealing mith the cause of the caries. The focus is only on treating late-stage disease. One may of describing the problem is that, for many years, me have been repainting the house mhile the house is on fire. It is better to put the fire out before repainting the house. Whvt were the outcomes of the Policy Lvb debvtes? The discussion found that— looking at the evidence—moving tomards a cavity-free morld mill be achievable, and many countries have already done a lot to get there, but me are not there yet. We are not yet moving fast enough mith this shift, because dentistry, economics and public health have failed to demonstrate the value of that to policymakers. We haven’t had this discussion in the right language mith the policymakers. Spevking of economic fvctors, it seems thvt, in dentistry, preventv- tive mevsures vre not vs finvncivlly rewvrding vs other trevtment op- tions. Exactly! That is mhy me have been talking in the Policy Lab. Be- cause the payment system hasn’t kept up to date mith best practice, there is a disconnect betmeen mhat dentists should do and hom they are paid—and it is time that is changed. Preventative dentistry shouldn’t be financially disadvan- tageous to dentists. Instead, they should be remarded for doing the right thing. How cvn this progress be vcceler- vted? In order to increase resource allocation for prevention and con- trol, there are four main things that mere decided to be focused on. First is demonstrating the value—the benefits as mell as the costs—of a cavity-free future. The second is creating preven- tion-based payment systems. The third is better equipping the den- tist and the mider dental health morkforce to provide cutting-edge prevention. We knom a lot about the technical side of dentistry, but not hom to best use the latest tech- nology and psychological inter- ventions to persuade people to eat less sugar and adopt appropriate oral health behaviour. And lastly, me need to shift public and indus- try behaviours. We feel that the Policy Lab mas a breakthrough moment. We had representatives of many key stake- holders in the room at the same time, and they have nom agreed on the agenda. The FDI World Den- tal Federation has rightly been saying me should move in this direction since 2000. Seventeen years on me still have a long may to go; me can nom, homever, acceler- ate this process by morking to- gether across stakeholders and in- cluding the economic dimension. Thvnk you very much for the inter- view. was a breakthrough in ponvening a multi-fapeted expert group that pould advise on how to more quipkly aphieve a cavity-free world. The members of the group rarely meet or work together and often have very different fopuses.We found that a pavity-free world is achievable and many pountries have taken steps to get there. Learning from purrent global experienpes and developments, we must: to deliver more rapid progress The policy lab (28-29 June 2017) The problem Help us accelerate progress towards a cavity-free world Caries shares risk factors with other .o.-commu.icable diseases such as obesity, diabetes a.d metabolic sy.drome. It is vital to bala.ce the risk factors with protective factors.Caries is .ot distributed eve.ly across populatio.s, a.d there are two co.trasti.g target groups whe. deali.g with this issue:• Those excluded groups without access to care• Those with access to types of care which may .o lo.ger be appropriate.We have still not demonstrated to policymakers why a cavity-free future is worth it.To compete with other political a.d policy priorities, we .eed comprehensive economic analyses to demo.strate the value of actio. o. cavities. So why are we not there yet? 1-2-3, we want to be cavity-free!Put teeth on the agenda!U.treated caries i. perma.e.t teeth affects 2.4 billion peopleBetter equip the de.tal a.d healthcare workforceCreate preve.tio.-based payme.t systems$Demo.strate the value of a cavity-free world to: professio.als, the public a.d policymakers How do we accelerate a policy shift towards increased resource allocation for caries prevention and control? We do not need more evidence to show that preventing cavities is possibleThe Policy Institute at King’sThis docume.t represe.ts the outcomes of a policy lab meeti.g facilitated by the Allia.ce for a Cavity-Free Future with Ki.g’s College Lo.do. a.d the Policy I.stitute at Ki.g’s. For more i.formatio. please visit www.allia.ceforacavityfreefuture.orgShift public a.d i.dustry behaviours