Ming-yu Zhao,1,* Wen Zeng,2,* Sze Ngai Chan,3 Jianhao Du,4 Naman Rao,5 Taoran Liu,6 Wai-kit Ming6 

1Department of Prosthodontics, State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Orthodontics, Stomatological Hospital, School of Stomatology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 5Henry M Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA; 6Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Wai-kit Ming, Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China, Email wkming2@cityu.edu.hk

Purpose: The main treatment options offered to patients to choose from when restoring a single missing tooth include tooth-supported three-unit fixed partial dentures (FPDs) and implant-supported single crowns (ISCs). However, due to the heterogeneity of current studies, it is difficult to objectively compare these two treatment strategies. In this study, a discrete choice experiment (DCE) was used to quantify the preferences of individuals undergoing restoration treatment for single tooth loss.
Patients and Methods: The DCE questionnaire was disseminated in a “snowball” fashion, with data collected from participants aged 18– 60. Five important attributes of treatment were selected: (1) treatment procedure, (2) treatment time, (3) cost, (4) five-year survival rate, and (5) five-year complication rate. A conditional logit model was employed to ascertain the direction of participants’ preferences for specific attribute levels and to derive their willingness to pay (WTP) through the principle of marginal utility.
Results: 287 participants completed the questionnaire. The results of the questionnaire revealed that the five-year complication rate (42.42%) was the most important attribute, followed by cost (20.43%), five-year survival rate (14.23%), treatment time (13.44%), and treatment procedure (9.49%). Participants were willing to pay RMB$11076.2 (USD$1,772.2) to obtain a 10% extra reduction in the five-year complication rate, and RMB$7434.6 (USD$1,189.5) for a non-invasive treatment.
Conclusion: In the ranking of the relative importance of key factors affecting single missing tooth restoration, complication rates are most highly valued, suggesting that reducing the complication rate is a key issue to be addressed in prosthodontics. In addition, deriving the ranking of patients’ concerns about key factors can help to improve doctor-patient communication and provide a reference for treatment technology development and medical decision-making.

Keywords: choice behavior, discrete choice experiment, restoration treatment, patients’ preferences