Decision processes in the management of dental disease. Part 1: QALYs, QATYs and dental health state utilities.

A necessary step in attempting to frame a rational decision about managing dental disease is to evaluate the clinical outcomes. This article discusses how the patient's view of the worth or value of a dental health state can be quantified, how this can contribute to the development of the Quality Adjusted Tooth Year (QATY) as a dental variation of the Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY) known in medicine, and how the dental practitioner can use this technique to decide which treatment is best for a particular patient.