Preference based measurements in dentistry: a review of the literature andrecommendations for research

Clinical outcomes are used routinely in dental clinical practice to determi ne whether or not a patient has exhibited improvement following treatment. While these measures can be useful in comparing therapies in disease specif ic terms, they do not incorporate outcomes which may be of interest to pati ents. Preference based outcome measurements, on the other hand, take into a ccount an individual's life style, overall well being and economic resource s. There is a number of preference based measures available from the medica l field, many of which have been adapted for use in a dental setting. This paper outlines the strengths and weaknesses of these preference based measu res, using examples from the dental literature when available. Particular e mphasis is placed on an economic tool known as contingent valuation or 'wil lingness to pay' as a potential technique in the measurement of dental pref erences.