Private dental practitioners--perceptions of needs and barriers to dental care

The purpose of this paper was to examine needs and barriers to dental care as perceived by private dental practitioners in South Africa. In 1988/89 a National Oral Health survey was conducted. This included a questionnaire sent to 3200 dental practitioners. The items examined in this paper were part of this questionnaire. Fifty six and 29 per cent of practitioners considered that there was a shortage of dentists for black and coloured persons respectively and only 4 per cent perceived a shortage for whites. Twenty two per cent of respondents believed that there was no shortage of dentists for black patients. There was however, a high percentage of "don't know" responses. An analysis of the type of treatment provided indicated that 60 per cent of dentists spend more than 60 per cent of their time on performing extractions for black patients and minimal time on prevention. The main barriers to dental care were seen as attitudinal, structural and dentist-related. Dentist perceptions of these barriers highlight the role non-dental factors play in dentistry and oral health. These factors need to be seriously considered in order to improve the nature and quality of, and accessibility to dental care.