Recent reorganization of the public dental health service in Greenland in favor of caries prevention.
The Danish dental health service in Greenland has not succeeded in its attempts to subdue a steadily growing caries problem in this rapidly changing society; surveys from 1974 and 1977 show that DMFS indices in this country are among the highest in the world. A comparison between the 1974 and 1977 surveys indicates that the DMFS indices reached a maximum around 1974. Pressing needs for other health services have left only small resources for a reorganization of the dental health service; at the same time, a certain lack of initial administrative support has hampered design and implementation of an adequate preventive program. Recently, a comprehensive plan for the training in Greenland of Greenlandic auxiliary personnel was put into effect, but at a time of economic depression. As a consequence, the dental health service now finds itself compelled to limit its previous scope of "comprehensive care", to be able to spend a reasonable part of existing resources on preventive programs utilizing indigenous auxiliary personnel.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003190:Comprehensive Dental Care; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003752:Dental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006116:Greenland; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000078329:Workforce