Public dental service utilization among adults in South Australia.
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.
Luzzi
L
L
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
Spencer
A J
AJ
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003753:Dental Health Surveys; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017050:Episode of Care; D005792:General Practice, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D020380:Needs Assessment; D013021:South Australia