Author(s)

Deborah Ellen Wanderley Gomes Freire, Elza Cristina Farias de Araújo, Aldelany Ramalho Freire, Rennis Oliveira da Silva, Maria Letícia Barbosa Raymundo, Edson Hilan Gomes de Lucena, Yuri Wanderley Cavalcanti^*

Graduate Program in Dentistry, Clinical and Social Dentistry Department, Federal University of Paraiba, Cidade Universitária, Campus I, Castelo Branco, João Pessoa, Brazil.

Objective: To evaluate the willingness to pay (WTP) for basic dental procedures according to sociodemographic variables of individuals from the Brazilian population. Methods: A quantitative and analytical study was conducted, using a cross-sectional observational design, to examine the willingness to pay (WTP) for dental procedures. A total of 280 individuals participated in this study through digital forms on the Google Workspace platform (Google Forms). Socioeconomic data, oral disease burden, oral health complaints, and willingness to pay for dental procedures were collected. Multiple regressions were generated between the independent variables and the WTP for dental procedures, considering a significance level of p < 0.05 and a 95% confidence interval. Results: Socioeconomic factors and level of involvement in Dentistry were the variables associated with higher willingness to pay (WTP) for basic dental procedures. Compared to individuals with an income of 5 or more minimum wages (MW), those with lower income (up to 2 MW) exhibited lower WTP for routine check-ups (RP = 0.732, p < 0.01), anterior tooth restoration (RP = 0.785, p < 0.01), simple extraction (RP = 0.763, p < 0.01), and simple tooth cleaning (RP = 0.812, p < 0.01). When compared to dental professionals, individuals not connected to Dentistry had lower WTP for anterior tooth restoration (RP = 0.774, p < 0.01), extraction (RP = 0.769, p < 0.01), and simple tooth cleaning (RP = 0.742, p < 0.01). Conclusion: Income and involvement in Dentistry were the factors that influenced the preference and valuation of dental procedures. Understanding the factors that influence valuation and preferences in health can assist managers and policymakers in emphasizing the importance of basic or routine oral health care.

Health Care Economics and Organizations, Cost-Benefit Analysis, Oral Health, Dentistry

Freire, D. , Araújo, E. , Freire, A. , Silva, R. , Raymundo, M. , Lucena, E. and Cavalcanti, Y. (2025) Economic Analysis of Willingness to Pay for Dental Procedures and Associated Factors. Journal of Service Science and Management, 18, 25-38. doi: 10.4236/jssm.2025.181003.