title: Dental specialist training in South Africa--demographic characteristics 1985-2004.
abstract: This short communication complements a recently published dental undergraduate analysis, and analyses the demographic profile of dental specialists trained from 1985-2004, as well as that of the registrars in training (in 2005). A total of 309 dental specialists were trained from 1985-2004, of these 86% were males and 74% White. Of the registrars, two-thirds are males and a quarter Black. The dental faculties and the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) face a significant challenge to find innovative ways to address these disparities, as well as the urban/rural and private/public sector maldistribution of dental specialists, and to develop a more rational basis for training dental specialists for the country. Dealing with these disparities should improve access to dental specialist care for the poor and rural populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Oral Health, Faculty of Dentistry and WHO Collaborating Centre, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X1, Tygerberg, 7505. rlalloo@uwc.ac.za
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lalloo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naidoo
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Myburah
mesh_terms: D004497:Education, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004499:Education, Dental, Graduate / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012744:Sex Ratio; D013019:South Africa