Abstract
Abstract Background residents of highly developed countries do not have universal access to dental care at a level corresponding to the current needs, that results from the ongoing socio-economic, health and demographic changes. Dental care is fragmentary, covers only selected population groups, by far the largest negligence is in the field of prevention. Poland is an example of bad oral health status, where dental caries index for adolescents in all ages groups has been the highest in Europe. Objective The aim of this study was to carry out an analysis of some organizational, financial and social aspects of a dental care in Poland, comparing to EU countries, and to identify the main causes of a bad oral health outcomes. Material and methods This research presents findings from the 610 dental providers interviews, carried out in 2018. The survey consisted of 32 questions, concerning all relevant aspects of dental clinics activity. Statistical analyzes were performed in a SAS package - 9.4 version. Results Poland has the highest number of dentists in EU (9.9 per 100 thou. of population) while the average for EU is 6.6. Dental rooms are modernly equipped. Dentists apply the newest technologies, they are constantly improving their knowledge and implement the TQM tools. Less than 30 % of patients are treated in public system, the average waiting time for the appointment in public sector is three times longer than in private one. Dentists perform the care of young people mainly in the area of conservative dentistry. Conclusions Improving children’s oral health should be a public health priority in Poland. Public authorities in a very limited extent participate in the organization, financing, supplying and supervising of dental care. Health promotion programs are ineffective, health needs assessment aren’t being done, we observe the lack of cooperation between the key health institutions and lack of tools to identify socio-economic inequalities. Key messages Research financed by Medical University of Silesia in Katowice. The aim of the study was to carry out an analysis of some organizational, financial, social aspects of a dental care in Poland comparing to EU, and to identify the causes of a bad health outcomes.
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