Abstract
BackgroundThe burden of untreated tooth decay remains high and oral healthcare utilisation is low for the majority of children in South Africa. There is need for alternative methods of improving access to low cost oral healthcare. The mobile dental unit of the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) has been operational for over 25 years, providing alternative oral healthcare to children and adults who otherwise would not have access. The aim of this study was to conduct a cost-analysis of a school based oral healthcare program in the Wits mobile dental unit. The objectives were to estimate the general costs of the school based program, costs of oral healthcare per patient and the economic implications of providing services at scale.MethodsIn 2012, the Wits mobile dental unit embarked on a 5 month project to provide oral healthcare in four schools located around Johannesburg. Cost and service use data were retrospectively collected from the program records for the cost analysis, which was undertaken from a provider perspective. The costs considered included both financial and economic costs. Capital costs were annualised and discounted at 6 %. One way sensitivity tests were conducted for uncertain parameters.ResultsThe total economic costs were R813.701 (US$76,048). The cost of screening and treatment per patient were R331 (US$31) and R743 (US$69) respectively. Furthermore, fissure sealants cost the least out of the treatments provided. The sensitivity analysis indicated that the Wits mobile dental unit was cost efficient at 25 % allocation of staff time and that a Dental Therapy led service could save costs by 9.1 %.ConclusionsExpanding the services to a wider population of children and utilising Dental Therapists as key personnel could improve the efficiency of mobile dental healthcare provision.
Highlights
The burden of untreated tooth decay remains high and oral healthcare utilisation is low for the majority of children in South Africa
They have shown how preventative services such as fissure sealants undertaken in such facilities, can improve the oral health of school children [17,18,19]
According to a report from the Gauteng Oral Health Department, of the 10.4 million children aged 5–14 years in South Africa, only 0.5 % had benefitted from fissure sealant programmes [GDoH; Narrative Report on Oral Health to Province, unpublished]
Summary
The prevalence of untreated dental caries is 35 % globally and ranks in the top 100 major contributors of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), [1] It is one of the prevalent conditions experienced by school children in South Africa [2, 3]. Mobile dental units have been used as alternatives to supplement the standard of care in order to reach underserved populations in many countries They have been shown to be cost-efficient and highly successful in improving access [13,14,15]. In South Africa, studies have been undertaken to demonstrate the feasibility of providing primary health care in mobile dental units They have shown how preventative services such as fissure sealants undertaken in such facilities, can improve the oral health of school children [17,18,19]. According to a report from the Gauteng Oral Health Department, of the 10.4 million children aged 5–14 years in South Africa, only 0.5 % had benefitted from fissure sealant programmes [GDoH; Narrative Report on Oral Health to Province, unpublished]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
