Dental effectiveness in rural and remote Queensland

This research was stimulated by the knowledge that dental services to rural and remote consumers in Australia are unpredictable and will remain so into the future. Rural and remote consumers are disadvantaged in their access to dental services due to distance, scarcity of dentists, lack of choice· and variable quality of treatment and facilities. Nonetheless, it is clear that some rural and remote consumers are able to achieve sound oral health. This study examined these dental consumers in order to identify characteristics which may contribute to their success.\ud \ud Providing appropriate and adequate dental services to rural and remote towns is predicted to become more difficult and require greater travel due to both a reduction in the number of dentists and a smaller population base. Encouraging rural residents to become more effective as dental consumers may result in improved preventive practices, more positive attitudes to oral health and better dental status. Dental effectiveness is improved when the dentist-patient relationship is sound and when there is a source of routine and continuing dental care, features which should form part of public health policies and training of rural dentists