title: Preventive and clinical care provided to adolescents attending public oral health services New South Wales, Australia: a retrospective study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dental Therapists and Oral Health Therapists (Therapists) working in the New South Wales (NSW) Public Oral Health Service are charged with providing clinical dental treatment including preventive care for all children under 18 years of age. Adolescents in particular are at risk of dental caries and periodontal disease which may be controlled through health education and clinical preventive interventions. However, there is a dearth of evidence about the type or the proportion of clinical time allocated to preventive care.The aim of this study is to record the proportion and type of preventive care and clinical treatment activities provided by Therapists to adolescents accessing the NSW Public Oral Health Service.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical dental activity data for adolescents was obtained from the NSW Health electronic Information System for Oral Health (ISOH) for the year 2011. Clinical activities of Therapists were examined in relation to the provision of different types of preventive care for adolescents by interrogating state-wide public oral health data stored on ISOH.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Therapists were responsible for 79.7 percent of the preventive care and 83.0 percent of the restorative treatment offered to adolescents accessing Public Oral Health Services over the one year period. Preventive care provided by Therapists for adolescents varied across Local Health Districts ranging from 32.0 percent to 55.8 percent of their clinical activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Therapists provided the majority of clinical care to adolescents accessing NSW Public Oral Health Services. The proportion of time spent undertaking prevention varied widely between Local Health Districts. The reasons for this variation require further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health, School of Health Sciences, Oral Health, University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, NSW 2258, Australia. Angela.Masoe@gsahs.health.nsw.gov.au.
authors.forename: Angela V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Masoe
authors.forename: Anthony S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Blinkhorn
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Fiona A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Blinkhorn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002391:Catchment Area, Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D003727:Dental Auxiliaries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003752:Dental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D057286:Electronic Health Records; D005459:Fluorides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005460:Fluorides, Topical / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007256:Information Systems; D009517:New South Wales; D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011313:Preventive Dentistry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011636:Public Health Dentistry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013997:Time Factors; D014100:Toothpastes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D005460:Fluorides, Topical; D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants; D014100:Toothpastes; D005459:Fluorides