title: The use of a geographical information system in investigating dental services.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the value of a geographical information system (GIS) in investigating the provision of dental care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Information about dental need and provision of dental services was obtained from districts within the West Midlands. A Geographical Information System (Atlas GIS) was used to answer three different questions about dental services provision within the West Midlands. A GIS is an interactive system that allows data to be analysed according to regular or irregular geographical areas. Once the system is established, it is fairly simple and quick to use. However, the financial and training issues mean that it may not be viable for such a system to be available within each health trust or district, but more appropriately as a central facility which can be accessed by several users.
  
  
  METHODS
  The way in which this system was used to answer three different questions about dental service provision within the West Midlands is demonstrated and evaluated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Use of a GIS presents information in a way that increases its usefulness in the planning of dental services.
authors.affiliation: The University of Birmingham, School of Dentistry, St Chad's Queensway, UK.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bradnock
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jenkins
mesh_terms: D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000453:epidemiology; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000453:epidemiology; D003752:Dental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005792:General Practice, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005843:Geography; D006285:Health Planning / Q000379:methods; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007256:Information Systems; D017062:Small-Area Analysis; D012984:Software