The Danish oral health care service for children: an evaluation

An evaluation of the children's oral health care service was performed by an international assessment team who undertook a field programme in Denmark. Three counties were visited, one metropolitan, one urban and one rural. Data on dental health costs were collected and dental services in six municipalities selected at random were examined. Opinions of administrators at all levels and those of clients and providers were obtained and interviews also took place with staff and students at the two dental schools. The service was considered effective insofar as active dental disease was closely controlled by restorative care and a high level of dental awareness was instilled in all sections of the child population. The service was also clearly adequate since participation of schoolchildren was almost universal. However, resource expenditure on both professional personnel and clinical facilities was considered high and the efficiency of the service was possibly rendered less than optimal by a degree of over-provision in 'passive' prevention and orthodontics. The appropriateness of devoting so much resource to children at the expense of the population as a whole was also regarded as questionable as was the lack of a fluoridation programme. Client groups wholeheartedly supported the service as a result of the high quality of care and the attractive, considerate image projected by clinics and staff. The overall excellence of the service was a matter of satisfaction to administrators, of gratification to clients and of pride to the providers whose morale was high.