Inequalities in the pattern of dental delivery in South Africa

The pattern of dental delivery of three groups of private general practitioners were evaluated. The first group consisted of dentists who charged fees based on the National Schedule of the Dental Association of South Africa, the second charged fees at the recommended Scale of Benefit and served an urban population, while the last group served township dwellers at the Scale of Benefits. In each case, sequential claims of 500 medical scheme members were evaluated for ten randomly selected dentists within each group. Uni- and multivariate analyses revealed significant differences between these groups which centred on the use of cast restorations, bleaching of vital teeth and treatment of diseases of the oral mucosa. Because these differences do not conform to documented differences in dental needs between the two groups, it is concluded that other non-clinical factors influence the delivery of private dentistry.