Benefits were measured in monetary terms, with values for each potential health state determined. The method used was a contingent valuation survey determining maximum willingness to pay for each health state. 

Contingent valuation survey

A survey of the public in England was undertaken to determine how much avoiding various states of tooth decay was valued. 

Design of survey  

The survey included questions relating to socio-demographic status, dental experience, attitudes to, and knowledge of, CWF, and the contingent valuation task.

As part of the survey, information was provided about the different health states to be valued. Respondents were then asked a series of questions to determine their maximum willingness to pay to enter the different health states. 

Sample 

A sample selected from an existing online robust probability-based panel survey (NATCEN) was invited to take part in the survey. Offline representation (telephone interview) was also offered to ensure the representativeness of the English population.

The sample size was 811 respondents in England.