The relative patient costs and availability of dental services, materials and equipment in public oral care facilities in Tanzania.

Kasusu K Nyamuryekung’E,Risto J Tuominen,Satu M Lahti

doi:10.1186/s12903-015-0061-3

Abstract

BackgroundPatient charges and availability of dental services influence utilization of dental services. There is little available information on the cost of dental services and availability of materials and equipment in public dental facilities in Africa. This study aimed to determine the relative cost and availability of dental services, materials and equipment in public oral care facilities in Tanzania. The local factors affecting availability were also studied.MethodsA survey of all district and regional dental clinics in selected regions was conducted in 2014. A total of 28/30 facilities participated in the study. A structured interview was undertaken amongst practitioners and clinic managers within the facilities. Daily resources for consumption (DRC) were used for estimation of patients’ relative cost. DRC are the quantified average financial resources required for an adult Tanzanian’s overall consumption per day.ResultsTooth extractions were found to cost four times the DRC whereas restorations were 9–10 times the DRC. Studied facilities provided tooth extractions (100 %), scaling (86 %), fillings (79 %), root canal treatment (46 %) and fabrication of removable partial dentures (32 %). The ratio of tooth fillings to extractions in the facilities was 1:16. Less than 50 % of the facilities had any of the investigated dental materials consistently available throughout the year, and just three facilities had all the investigated equipment functional and in use.ConclusionsDental materials and equipment availability, skills of the practitioners and the cost of services all play major roles in provision and utilization of comprehensive oral care. These factors are likely to be interlinked and should be taken into consideration when studying any of the factors individually.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12903-015-0061-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Highlights

Patient charges and availability of dental services influence utilization of dental services
It has been suggested that in many Low and middle income countries (LMICs), oral health services are in worse state than general health services [7, 8]
Public dental clinics are placed in administrative headquarters within the district and regional hospitals

Summary

Introduction

Patient charges and availability of dental services influence utilization of dental services. This study aimed to determine the relative cost and availability of dental services, materials and equipment in public oral care facilities in Tanzania. Low and middle income countries (LMICs) comprise 84 % of the global population, experience 90 % of the global disease burden and are mostly found in sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia [1]. Many of these countries are undergoing a disease-epidemiology transition, leading to increased incidence of chronic diseases in addition to the already prevalent infectious diseases [2]. WHO states that in industrialized countries, the dentist-to-population ration is 1:2000 [8]

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