Treatment provided in the Public Dental Service in Finland in 2009.
OBJECTIVE
To analyse treatment measures provided in the Public Dental Service (PDS) and to discuss the therapy given against treatment needs as expressed in the national clinical epidemiological studies.


METHODS
In 2009, the Chief Dentists of the PDS units collected data from their local registers on patients and treatment provided. Data were obtained from 166 PDS units (86%). Treatment patterns were compared between age groups, provider groups and geographical areas using chi-square tests.


RESULTS
Altogether 8.9 million treatments were provided for 1.7 million patients. Examinations, restorative treatment and anaesthesia accounted for 61.3% of all treatments. Preventive measures (8.4%) and periodontal treatment (6.3%) were small proportions of the total. Prosthetic treatment was uncommon (0.5%). Working age adults received half of all treatments (53.2%), the young a third (36.4%) and the elderly 10.4%. Dental hygienists or dental assistants provided 29.7% of all treatment for children and adolescents, 11.1% for adults and 14.1% for the elderly.


CONCLUSIONS
Relatively healthy children had plenty of examinations and preventive measures, and adults had mostly restorative care when their needs were more periodontal and prosthetic care, indicating that treatment given was not fully in line with needs.
E
E
Widström
J
J
Linden
H
H
Tiira
T T
TT
Seppälä
M
M
Ekqvist
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000766:Anesthesia, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D003726:Dental Assistants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016321:Dental Care for Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019140:Dental Care for Children / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003752:Dental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003756:Dental Hygienists / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017266:Dental Prosthesis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005387:Finland; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D011313:Preventive Dentistry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013218:State Dentistry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019564:Unnecessary Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult