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Utilization of public oral health services by New South Wales teenagers, 2004–05 to 2014–15
Author(s) -
Skinner J,
Byun R,
Blinkhorn A
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
australian dental journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.701
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1834-7819
pISSN - 0045-0421
DOI - 10.1111/adj.12438
Subject(s) - oral health , public health , medicine , rurality , environmental health , intervention (counseling) , family medicine , health services , population , rural area , nursing , pathology
Background The aims of this study were to examine variations in levels of access to public oral health services in New South Wales by teenagers from 2004–05 to 2014–15 and to determine whether more teenagers have been treated with preventive dental items in keeping with the strategic shift statewide towards prevention and early intervention. Methods This study involved an analysis of a subset of the New South Wales Oral Health Data Collection for teenagers treated in the New South Wales Public Oral Health Service in the financial years 2004–05 to 2014–15. Relevant Australian Dental Association dental service item groups are reported for teenagers by year as a percentage of total visits delivered in that year. Results The utilization of the New South Wales Public Oral Health Service by teenagers has remained relatively stable over the 11 years at approximately 6%, while the provision of some preventive items increased over the time period. Conclusions There were important differences found in access by teenagers to preventive items by socio‐economic status and rurality, and these differences will be targeted over the coming years by New South Wales Public Oral Health Services and better monitored by a new electronic oral health record being implemented statewide from 2016.