| Abstract: | The dental needs of a heterogeneous South African community are not being fully met because the majority of the already deficient dentist population is in private practice, mostly in urban areas, where they are rendering services to a small minority of the population who can afford comprehensive dental care. Contrary to public health services in general, public dental services are inadequate in extent and provide a limited range of treatment to some eighty-five per cent of the population. Millions of under-privileged people, particularly in rural areas, are not within range of any professional dental care whatsoever. Organized community preventive programmes and dental health education on a national basis are non-existent. Water fluoridation has not yet become a reality. Realizing the shortcomings in community dental services the Government recently adopted a national dental health policy which is aimed at limiting and preventing dental diseases and also at expanding the public dental service to bring it within reach of all sections of the community. In order to meet the dental needs of the community and also to give momentum to the national dental health policy, the following steps are being taken as far as dental education is concerned: (i) The Department of Health is planning to assist universities to establish departments of community dentistry with the object of promoting extended education in community dentistry at under-graduate and post-graduate level. (ii) Consideration is being given to a scheme whereby dental students will have to do one year compulsory intership. (iii) Additional dental schools are being established to enable more non-White dentists to qualify. (iv) With the extended education in community dentistry it is hoped to draw more dentists into community dental services. (v) Dental therapists are being educated to perform duties such as extractions, simple fillings, prevention and dental health education, under the supervision of dentists, in areas where the shortage of dentists is most crucial. |
