Cost benefit and cost effectiveness analysis

Abstract

Cost benefit restricts uncertainty, attempts to qualify the type of benefit and enables choice between different methods of intervention and, in fact, choice of different ways of spending money. Cost effectiveness on the other hand is a simple search for the least costly way of achieving a defined result. Sooner or later both dentistry and governments have to decide whether the cost of a certain procedure is justified by the results achieved even though it may be difficult to express dental health in terms of money, even though such an approach may be repugnant to a scientific profession.