It is important for policymakers to fully consider both the short and long-term costs and benefits of caries prevention schemes.  Health economics approaches allow this to be demonstrated by economic-based valuation techniques and economic evaluations that include decision modelling to capture long-term cost savings and health benefits of disease prevention.

Economics-based valuation techniques also allow the views of the public to be determined quantitatively, thereby incorporating both pro- and anti-fluoride views fairly. 

As far as the research team is aware, there have been no true cost-benefit analyses of CWF. Our aim was to address this gap in the literature. 

The passing of the Health and Care Act (2022), which includes provisions for the government to assume control of CWF initiation/cessation and local consultations in England, alongside renewed national and regional policy interest in CWF, mean that it is now timely to undertake a comprehensive CBA to inform potential new CWF schemes.