Exploring changes in dental workforce, dental care utilisation and dental caries levels in Europe, 1990-2004.

OBJECTIVES

To provide a conceptual framework of the relationships between dental health and dental care utilisation with socio-economic factors, human resources and the finance and organisation of dental healthcare systems in European countries from 1990 to 2004.

METHODS

Bivariate relations and longitudinal analysis using time series cross-sectional regression models. Data were obtained from published papers and official publications.

RESULTS

We found no evidence that greater access to dental healthcare professionals has contributed to improving dental health among 12-year-old children. The main parameters influencing oral health and its evolution are income and educational levels within countries. The greater number of dentists and a relatively young adult population have a positive effect on the utilisation of dental services.

CONCLUSIONS

The improvement in dental health obtained among European children over the last 15 years does not seem to be attributable to policies aimed at improving access to oral health services. What has been achieved is a higher rate of utilisation by adults, due in part to the greater relative numbers of dental healthcare personnel in European countries between 1990 and 2004.