L Luzzi1, A J Spencer. 1. Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health, School of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Adelaide, South Australia. liana.luzzi@adelaide.edu.au
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Longitudinal patterns of public dental service use may reflect access issues to public dental care services. Therefore, patterns of dental service use among South Australian adult public dental patients over a 3(1/2)-year period were examined. METHODS: Public dental patients (n = 898) initially receiving a course of emergency dental care (EDC) or general dental care (GDC) at baseline were followed for up to 3(1/2) years. Patient clinical records were accessed electronically to obtain information on dental visits and treatment received at those visits. RESULTS: Some 70.7 per cent of EDC and 51.3 per cent of GDC patients returned for dental treatment post-baseline. EDC patients returned within a significantly shorter time period post-baseline, received significantly more courses of care and were visiting more frequently than GDC patients. A greater proportion of EDC patients received oral surgery, restorative, endodontic and prosthodontic services, but fewer received periodontic services. EDC patients received significantly more oral surgery and fewer preventive services per follow-up year, on average, than GDC patients. Large proportions of EDC (52.4 per cent) and GDC (63.8 per cent) patients who returned sought emergency care post-baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Patients appeared to be cycling through emergency dental care because of lack of access to general care services, highlighting access problems to public dental care.
BACKGROUND: Longitudinal patterns of public dental service use may reflect access issues to public dental care services. Therefore, patterns of dental service use among South Australian adult public dental patients over a 3(1/2)-year period were examined. METHODS: Public dental patients (n = 898) initially receiving a course of emergency dental care (EDC) or general dental care (GDC) at baseline were followed for up to 3(1/2) years. Patient clinical records were accessed electronically to obtain information on dental visits and treatment received at those visits. RESULTS: Some 70.7 per cent of EDC and 51.3 per cent of GDCpatients returned for dental treatment post-baseline. EDC patients returned within a significantly shorter time period post-baseline, received significantly more courses of care and were visiting more frequently than GDCpatients. A greater proportion of EDC patients received oral surgery, restorative, endodontic and prosthodontic services, but fewer received periodontic services. EDC patients received significantly more oral surgery and fewer preventive services per follow-up year, on average, than GDCpatients. Large proportions of EDC (52.4 per cent) and GDC (63.8 per cent) patients who returned sought emergency care post-baseline. CONCLUSIONS:Patients appeared to be cycling through emergency dental care because of lack of access to general care services, highlighting access problems to public dental care.
Authors: Rafaela da Silveira Pinto; Mauro Henrique Nogueira Guimarães de Abreu; Andrea Maria Duarte Vargas Journal: BMC Oral Health Date: 2014-08-06 Impact factor: 2.757