The Danish oral health care service for children: a comparison with alternative systems

Aarhus in Denmark, Adelaide in Australia, Saskatchewan in Canada, Bristol in England and Limerick in Ireland were chosen as representing five different systems for improving the dental health of children. Fluoridation apart, the system of dental care delivery seems to have little influence on the level of dental disease, but appears to have remarkable cost implications. The most expensive system employs salaried dentists to carry out all the operative procedures. Employing dental therapists to do the simple operative procedures reduces costs materially, but utilizing private dentists in an insurance scheme that encourages efficient practice may be less expensive still. The results of this study highlight the need for more detailed comparison of delivery systems, in order to advise public dental health authorities on the most effective and efficient systems for children.