Search

Background/Aim: This retrospective study investigated the effect of lockdowns for Covid‐19 on the rates of oro‐facial trauma hospitalisations in children in Australia and the United Kingdom (UK). Materials and Methods: Hospitalisation data for children up to 19 years old for oro‐facial trauma injuries (according to ICD‐10‐AM principal diagnosis codes) over 5 years were collected for Australian and UK children. The age‐standard rate (ASR) for each age group was calculated per 100,000 population. Results: In the younger Australian children, there was no statistically significant change in the ASR of oro‐facial trauma hospitalisations during the 'Covid year', compared to the average rate over the 3 years preceding. However, there was a significant decrease in the ASR of oro‐facial trauma hospitalisations during the 'Covid year' in older Australian children (aged 10–19), and for all UK children, except for infants under one‐year‐old. Conclusions: Reduction of the ASR of hospitalisations due to oro‐facial trauma during the 'Covid year', and the implementation of lockdown measures in the two countries provides further evidence of the impact of physical activities and travel as contributing factors to oro‐facial injuries in children. In addition to its role in reducing the spread of virus infections during the pandemic, the lockdown measures also resulted in a simultaneous decrease in trauma injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The accessibility to affordable primary healthcare services contributes to population health and health equity. A key aspect to accessibility is the geographical distribution of primary healthcare services. Limited studies have assessed the nationwide spatial distribution of bulk billing-only medical practices or 'no-fee' services. The aim of this study was to provide a nationwide approximation of bulk billing-only services and evaluate the socio-demographic status and population characteristics in relation to the distribution of bulk billing-only GP services. Methods: The methodology in this study used Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to map the locations of all bulk bulking-only medical practices collected in mid-2020 and linked this with population data. The population data and practice locations were analysed at the level of Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2) regions and used the most recent Census data. Results: The study sample included (n = 2095) bulk billing-only medical practice locations. The nationwide average Population-to-Practice (PtP) ratio was 1 practice to 8529 people for regions with access to bulk billing-only practice, and 57.4% of the Australian population lives within an SA2 that has access to at least one bulk billing-only medical practices. No significant associations were identified between practice distribution and area socio-economic status. Conclusion: The study identified areas with low access to affordable GP services, with many SA2 regions having no access to bulk billing-only practices. Findings also indicate that there was no association between area socio-economic status and the distribution of bulk billing-only services. Inadequate subsidisation of the Medicare rebate threatens the survival of bulk billing only GP services. Little is known of the socio-economic status of bulk billing only practice localities and whether they target disadvantaged populations. This research provides a current estimation of the distribution of bulk billing only GP services in Australia in relation to surrounding population socio-economic demographics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Improving the oral health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people has been prioritised by both of the Australian National Oral Health Plans (2004-2013 and 2015-2024). However, providing adequate access to timely dental care to remote Aboriginal communities remains a challenge. The Kimberley region of Western Australia in particular experiences a significantly higher prevalence of dental disease compared to other regional centres. The region covers an area of over 400 000 km, with 97% of this being classified as very remote and 42% of the population identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. The provision of dental care to remote Aboriginal communities in the Kimberley is complex and involves careful consideration of the unique environmental, cultural, organisational and clinical factors at play. Issue: The low population densities combined with the high running costs of a fixed dental practice mean that establishing a permanent dental workforce is generally not viable in remote communities in the Kimberley. Thus there is a pressing need to explore alternative strategies to extend care to these communities. In this context, the Kimberley Dental Team (KDT), a nongovernment, volunteer-led organisation, was established to 'fill the gaps' and extend dental care to areas of unmet need. There is currently a lack of literature around the structure, logistics and delivery of volunteer dental services to remote communities. This paper describes the KDT, its development, resources, operational factors and organisational characteristics of the model of care, including mapping the reach of the program. Lessons learned: This article underlines the challenges around dental service provision to remote Aboriginal communities and the evolution of a volunteer service model over the course of a decade. The structural components integral to the KDT model were identified and described. Community-based oral health promotion through initiatives such as supervised school toothbrushing programs enabled access to primary prevention for all school children. This was combined with school-based screening and triage to identify children in need of urgent care. Collaboration with community-controlled health services and cooperative use of infrastructure enabled holistic management of patients, continuity of care and increased efficiency of existing equipment. Integration with university curricula and supervised outreach placements were used to support training of dental students and attract new graduates into remote area dental practice. Supporting volunteer travel and accommodation and creating a sense of family were central to volunteer recruitment and sustained engagement. Service delivery approaches were adapted to meet community needs; a multifaceted hub-and-spoke model with mobile dental units was used to increase the reach of services. Strategic leadership through an overarching governance framework built from community consultation and steered by an external reference committee informed the model of care and its future direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) was introduced in 2014, and its aim was to support access to dental care for eligible children in Australia. Dental caries, and pulp and periapical diseases were the major dental reasons for children’s hospitalisations. This study investigated if the availability of the CDBS had any effects on hospitalisation rates in Australian children. Methods. This study was a retrospective analysis of Medicare data from the Australian Government and the hospitalisation data from The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) from 2008 (6 years before the commencement of the CDBS) to 2020 (6 years after the commencement of the CDBS). Results. Although the hospitalisation rate trend was reducing before the CDBS started (2008–14), this reduction was not statistically significant. The reduction of hospitalisation rates was higher after the commencement of the CDBS (2014–20) and was statistically significant, but the regression model analysis showed a positive correlation between the CDBS and hospitalisation rate. The analysis without ‘abnormal’ year data (2019–20, COVID-19 pandemic year) supported no statistically significant decrease in hospitalisation rate after the commencement of the CDBS in 2014 until 2019. Conclusion. Although the CDBS is improving access to dental care for eligible children, any possible effects the CDBS might have on hospitalisations are not yet evident. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This study aimed to map the geographic distribution of tertiary hospitals in Australia’s most populous cities. Good access to hospital facilities improves the health and welfare of a community. The use of geographic information system (GIS) technology can assist in understanding spacial accessibility to services. Methods. Using Quantum GIS, a geodatabase was constructed to incorporate hospital locations and demographic distribution data throughout Australia’s 20 most populous cities. Data on the population’s age groups were integrated into the geodatabase to investigate the distribution of age groups and their utilisation of access to emergency departments in tertiary public health care. Overall this study reported the geospatial distribution of 89 tertiary hospitals and the demographics of the population in areas around these hospitals. Results. The majority of hospitals were located in the three most populated cities of New South Wales (NSW), Sydney, Wollongong and Newcastle, which contain a total of 32 hospitals, with 23 (72%) of the hospitals in Sydney. There were 7.8, 24.0, 53.4 and 81.0% of the population in NSW within 1.5, 3, 6 and 50 km of the hospitals, respectively. The second-highest number of hospitals was in Victoria (n = 22), with 18 (82%) hospitals located in Melbourne. This was followed by Queensland (n = 14), with eight (57%) hospitals located in Brisbane. Conclusions. The results indicate that 82.2% of the Australian population lives within a 50 km radius of a tertiary hospital, with NSW having higher age distribution percentages than the other states. The results of this study could be used to locate and improve areas of need with a high burden of disease and low accessibility to healthcare services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: New Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) telehealth item codes were added in 2020 to allow Australians to gain access to medical services during COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. Previous studies have been conducted on the utilisation of specific MBS item codes however none have been conducted on all medical practitioner telehealth item codes. OBJECTIVE: This retrospective epidemiological analysis aims to determine the utilisation rate of newly introduced medical practitioner telehealth MBS item codes and compare them with the usage of existing in-person item codes METHODS: The utilisation of 319 MBS item codes were extracted from the Medicare Statistics Database between March 2020 to March 2021. Using count and population statistics a population adjusted rate was generated and a linear regression analysis undertaken. RESULTS: A total of 199,059,309 in-person and telehealth services (Male, n=84,007,935; 42.2%, Female, n=115,051,374; 57.8%) were utilised during the study period. 147,697,104 were in-person compared to 51,191,898 telehealth services. In-person usage decreased by 27.5% while telehealth increased by 358.8%. In-person utilisation increased by 32.4% as the year continued while the telehealth utilisation decreased by 40.7%. There was a non-significant increase in total in-person item code utilisation (p=0.76) and a non-significant decrease (p=0.32) in the total telehealth item codes used CONCLUSION: There was initially increased usage of telehealth especially during lockdown restrictions. However, when lockdowns eased, usage of telehealth decreased while in-person increased. Regardless, telehealth item codes continued to be used despite changes to eligibility criteria and lockdown restrictions easing. Hence, it appears that patients are accepting of telehealth as a healthcare delivery method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Pharmacists are known as medicine experts. Dentists can independently prescribe and administer medications related to dental conditions such as antimicrobials, anti-inflammatories and analgesics. However, little is known about pharmacists' knowledge and perceptions of medicines prescribed for dentistry. Therefore, this study aimed to assess community pharmacists' ability to identify the indications for dental prescriptions using hypothetical vignettes. Methods Australian community pharmacists were invited through email and social media to undertake a web-based questionnaire consisting of nine case vignettes of dental prescriptions and their indicated uses in dental settings and two perception-based questions. The results were provided as a percentage of the correct answers to the case vignettes. In addition, Pearson chi-square tests were performed to examine associations between categorical variables. Key findings Of the 202 pharmacists who completed the questionnaire, the mean number of correct responses was 5 ± 2 (out of 9). More than three-quarters (78.5%) of pharmacists believed that thorough knowledge of prescriptions for dental ailments was necessary for safe and effective community pharmacy practice. In addition, nearly two-thirds (64.1%) felt confident that they could dispense medicines indicated for dental conditions safely and effectively. Conclusions The knowledge demonstrated by participants through correct identification of the indications for dental prescription was less than optimal. Professional development courses for pharmacists in dental ailments could prove beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIM: To determine the perceptions of carers of people with a disability in terms of the problems they face in accessing dental care. METHOD: The survey was based on the modified Penchansky's 5A classification. It focused on members of a local disability suppo rt agency and was completed as part of their ongoing quality improvement processes. RESULT: A total of 169 carers took part, with a quarter indicating that the person they cared for did not have a regular dentist. Nearly 25% of the participants found it extremely difficult to obtain appropriate oral health care. Amongst the participants 10% had to abandon dental treatment due to difficulties, while 13% have yet to receive any sort of dental care. Amongst school-aged children, 64.5% were unable to receive dental care from the school dental service. CONCLUSION: The study was conducted to obtain an insight and understanding of how people with a disability and their primary caregivers experience dental care. Several concerns were identified, with most related to the process of providing care (patient-professional interaction factors) and the structure of the dental health system and its operation (factors related to access, affordability and information systems.) Targeted strategies aimed at providing affordable and appropriate services to people with disabilities should be prioritised. SO WHAT? The study showed emerging concerns among the participants relating to providing information regarding dental care options, as well as concerns regarding the availability and accessibility of the services. Further research will be conducted using the standardized tool the Measure of Processes of Care, and findings will translate to help initiate a program with the help of Developmental Disability Western Australia to provide information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This cost-analysis study explored Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) data to determine the financial patient contribution (PC) towards dispensed medications prescribed by dentists and temporal trends in cost contributions. Methods: For this study we used the PBS online dataset and only included concessional data in the analysis. Data on dental medications dispensed under the PBS from 2006 to 2018 were accessed. For all medicines aggregated to different pharmacological categories (antibiotics, analgesics and opiates, anti-inflammatories, antifungals, benzodiazepines, anticonvulsants and anti-emetics, and emergency medications), a temporal trend was generated using annual PC data. Cumulative patient and mean annual PC data were also generated in a similar manner. Results: Cumulative PC over the study period for dental PBS prescriptions was A$28 783 361 (A$5.55 per dispensing). The mean annual PC for dental PBS was A$2 214 105 (for the entire concessional population from 2006 to 2018), with a statistically significant and strong correlation between year and PC (Dental PBS, A$59 756 per year; r = 0.98: P < 0.0001). Antibiotics represented the highest proportion of PC (87.8%), whereas the lowest proportion of PC was for emergency medications (e.g. adrenaline, atropine, glucagon, naloxone), which amounted to 0.003%. Conclusions: This study highlights the increasing contributions made by patients towards antibiotic prescriptions. What is known about the topic?: Australian dentists can independently prescribe subsidised medications as per a set scope for general and specialist dentists, regulated under the PBS with requisite adherence to specific legal requirements. What does this paper add?: This is the first study highlighting the increased level of patient financial contributions towards dental medicines, according to different pharmacological categories, dispensed by pharmacists in Australia. What are the implications for practitioners?: This study creates a base for future research assessing the appropriateness of the PBS subsidy and the PBS Safety Net threshold, possibly reassessing the out-of-pocket pricing on brand substitution and appropriately reassessing the current dental PBS schedule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether there has been a change in access to private dental services in regional and remote areas of Australia by comparing the distribution of private dental practices and dentists in 2011 to the distribution in 2018 according to state and territory and the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia Plus. Design and setting: A database of dental practices and dentists in Australia was compiled from open‐access sources for 2011 and 2018; dental practices were mapped by state, Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia Plus and Statistical Area 2 census district and linked to population data. Main outcome measures: Change in number of private dental practices, mean number of dentists per private practice, population per dental practice and mean number of dentists per population by geographic location from 2011 to 2018. Results: There were more dental practices in rural and remote areas in 2018 than in 2011. The percentage of Statistical Area 2s without a private dental practice was lower in 2018 but remained high in rural areas and increased with remoteness—inner regional 23.1%; outer regional 31.6%; and remote and very remote 48%. Growth in registered dentist numbers did not match population growth, and on average, there were less dentists per practice in inner regional and remote and very remote areas by the end of the study. Conclusion: There has been an improvement in spatial access to private dental services in regional areas of Australia, but slower rate of growth of dentist numbers compared to population growth resulted in poorer access to dental services and large population numbers must still travel outside their local Statistical Area 2 census district to access dental care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The Child Dental Benefit Scheme (CDBS), which provides dental services for targeted children in Australia, was implemented in 2014. Currently there is no information available on the cost and utilisation patterns of this publicly funded scheme. This study aimed to analyse the pattern of dental visits under the CDBS, as well as the cost of the CDBS over the first 2 years of operation. Methods: This study was a retrospective descriptive analysis, using data from Medicare Statistics (an Australian Government website) from two calendar years (2014 and 2015). Results: Nationally, the number of CDBS patients declined by 16.3% after the first year, and patients were predominantly aged 5–14 years. Preventive services were the most used service, and contributed to approximately 30% of total expenditure. Conclusion: The utilisation of CDBS is considered to be low. What is known about the topic?: Previous government dental schemes in Australia resulted in inequalities in utilisation of the scheme by targeted groups. The CDBS was implemented with an extension of eligibility criteria and services offered as a means to improve access to dental care. What does this paper add?: There is no information available on the utilisation and cost patterns of the CDBS; hence, this study analysed the pattern of utilisation and the cost of the CDBS over the first 2 years of operation. What are the implications for practitioners?: It is important that practitioners promote the scheme among those eligible to enable targeted populations access to the scheme and to ultimately improve child oral health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issue Addressed: The aim of this study was to use a novel approach to geographically model the relationship between socio-economic disadvantage and prevalence of profound and severe disability.Method: This study used national census data and the survey of disability, ageing and carers data to geographically model the relationship between socio-economic disadvantage and prevalence of profound and severe disability.Result: The results in this study show that there were more people living in the least disadvantaged areas (wealthiest) when compared to the most disadvantaged (poorest) areas. Whereas for people with a disability as the relative socio-economic disadvantage of the area increased, the number of people reporting any disability also increased, with the highest number coming from the most disadvantaged areas. The maps show a significant distribution with fewer cases of disability in metropolitan areas and relatively higher number in the rural area along with the higher proportion of people with disability living in the relatively more disadvantaged areas.Conclusion: Socio-economic profile is one of the key factors influencing the various aspects of health and hence should hold an important place during policy making. Policy should be formulated and implemented to help reduce the inequality by either directly aiming at the most disadvantaged group or by trying to bridge the gap between them. SO WHAT?: This paper provides a geographic visualisation of the distribution of people with profound and severe disability to help identify priority areas with high prevalence of disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to determine whether job vacancy data for dentists might be used as part of a needs-based index to indicate levels of workforce supply. METHODS Advertised job vacancies for dentists were collected at monthly intervals between October 2011 and June 2019; compiled into a data base and geo-coded by latitude and longitude. The vacancies were mapped using QGIS software and their geographic locations were observed relative to Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia Plus (ARIA+ 2016) and SEIFA Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage (IRSD). RESULTS There was a slight decline in the number of advertised job vacancies relative to the population of Australia in the first 18 months of the study. For the remainder of the study period the number of vacancies per million of the population rose steadily. There were differences between ARIA+ regions; but remote and very remote Australia showed very little variation in vacancies across the study period. The percentage of monthly advertised vacancies in IRSD1 (most disadvantaged) areas was much higher (>40%) at the start of the study period but by the end of the study the percentage of vacancies was relatively even across all IRSD groups. CONCLUSIONS The increase in the number of vacancies per million population since 2013 implies an increase in demand for dentists. The findings do not correlate with industry and government agency reporting of an oversupply. The use of job vacancy data might form part of a needs-based index to inform dental workforce planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the spatial accessibility of the aged and older adult population of the greater Sydney region to the bus public transport network, and the proximity of this transportation route to public and private dental services. Methods: This study used geographic information systems (GIS) to examine, at a population level, the spatial accessibility of the public transport network and dental provider locations. The prime focus of the present study was on the aging population residing within 50 km of the General Post Office of metropolitan Sydney. Retirees (aged ≥65 years) and older adults (aged ≥85 years) were the two subsets of the aging population. Results: Sydney's bus network is currently supplying bus transport to both older and disadvantaged groups, facilitating the needs of more than half a million older people. Regardless of socioeconomic status, 12% of the entire population, 11.5% of retirees and 10.8% of older adults resided 500 m away from accessible medium-frequency bus stops. Approximately 40% of the overall population consisted of people of lower socioeconomic status living within 500 m of a medium-frequency bus stop, whereas 60% of the population were of a high socioeconomic status and lived within 500 m of a medium-frequency bus stop. Conclusion: Metropolitan Sydney has a transport system that is substantial and robust, and appears to offer relatively similar spatial accessibility for all socioeconomic groups. This system is an example of great urban planning, where the distribution of bus stops is evenly positioned in both high-density areas and areas of low socioeconomic status. What is known about the topic?: Older adults and disadvantaged people suffer from higher levels of dental disease compared with the rest of the population. Older adults and disadvantaged people are more likely to rely on public transport to access healthcare services, including dental care. The Australian population is aging rapidly. What does this paper add?: Although a previous study examined the accessibility to services via the train network, this is the first analysis of the spatial accessibility to dental services via the bus network in Sydney. Most older adults and disadvantaged people in Sydney enjoy acceptable spatial access to the public transport network, and thereby to dental practices. Urban planning, in terms of determining healthcare service locations and the public transport network, needs to consider the distribution of older adults and disadvantaged populations. What are the implications for practitioners?: Practitioners are more likely to attract older adult patients to their practices or clinics if these are located within easy access to the public transport network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Those dual qualified in oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) in Australia have a scope of practice that includes dentoalveolar surgery, facial fractures, craniofacial deformities, salivary gland disease, temporomandibular joint disorders, and the treatment of oral and facial cancers with reconstruction. This differs from other countries such as the UK, the US, France and Brazil, which can lead to complexities of interaction when internationally trained health professionals, who may be unaware of this wide breadth of practice, are the 'gatekeepers' at tertiary health facilities.1–3 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dental workforce predictions have been at the forefront of the minds of professionals and governments for many years. However, the relative inaccuracy of these predictions has not been closely scrutinised. We have rested on the old adage that ‘the past is a predictor of the future’. In reality, with the substantive external environmental pressures that come to bear on workforce participation in dentistry, the underpinning assumptions are called into question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Australia has a significant mal-distribution of its limited dental workforce. Outside the major capital cities, the distribution of accessible dental care is at best patchy. Objective: This study applied geo-spatial analysis technology to locate gaps in dental service accessibility for rural and remote dwelling Australians, in order to test the hypothesis that there are a few key location points in Australia where further dental services could make a significant contribution to ameliorating the immediate shortage crisis. Method: A total of 2,086 dental practices were located in country areas, covering a combined catchment area of 1.84million square kilometers, based on 50 km catchment zones around each clinic. Geo-spatial analysis technology was used to identify gaps in the accessibility of dental services for rural and remote dwelling Australians. An extraction of data was obtained to analyse the integrated geographically-aligned database. Results: Resolution of the lack of dental practices for 74 townships (of greater than 500 residents) across Australia could potentially address access for 104,000 people. An examination of the socio-economic mix found that the majority of the dental practices (84%) are located in areas classified as less disadvantaged. Output from the study provided a cohesive national map that has identified locations that could have health improvement via the targeting of dental services to that location. Conclusion: The study identified potential location sites for dental clinics, to address the current inequity in accessing dental services in rural and remote Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reflects on the limited dental workforce and unequal distribution of services for dentists in Australia.

The article presents a study on hospitalization trends for oral cellulitis in Western Australia focusing on socioeconomic status of patients and the rate of cellulitis cases among aboriginals and non-Indigenous Western Australians. Topics include treatment of Ludwig Angina, risks of dental disease, oral health and hygiene, public health system, dental services for poor, gross domestic products (GDP), socioeconomic indexes for areas (SEIFA) index, and accessibility/remoteness index of Australia.

In Britain there was a reduction in hospitalisations for removal of impacted teeth (in particular third molars) following the introduction of evidence-based guidelines. However, the guideline approach has not been as successful in other countries, even those with a significant historical connection. In Australia, hospitalisation (ie to undergo treatment under general anaesthesia) for the removal of impacted teeth constitutes about two thirds of all oral health-related conditions requiring treatment under general anaesthesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past twenty-five years, there has been a substantial increase in work-based demands, thought to be due to an intensifying, competitive work environment. However, more recently, the question of work-life balance is increasingly attract-ing attention. The purpose of this study was to discover the attitudes of the next generation of dentists in Australia to parenting responsibility and work-life balance perceptions. Questionnaires on work-life balance were distributed to all fourth-year students at three dental schools in Australia. A total of 137 (76 percent) surveys were completed and returned. Most respondents indi-cated that they would take time off to focus on childcare, and just over half thought childcare should be shared by both parents. Thirty-seven percent felt that a child would have a considerable effect on their careers. Differences were seen in responses when compared by gender. The application of sensitivity analysis to workforce calculations based around changing societal work-life expectations can have substantial effects on predicting workforce data a decade into the future. It is not just the demographic change to a more feminized workforce in Australia that can have substantial effect, but also the change in social expectations of males in regards to parenting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade, there has been a significant increase in attention to the overall accountability of higher education in Australia, and this is expected to continue. Increased accountability has led to the need for more explicitly documented curricula. The curricula from ten health-related disciplines developed over the last five years in Australia were the basis of this study. Curriculum information modeling is an approach that allows for the dynamic nature of curricula since elements and their linkages can be moved about and reconnected into meaningful patterns. In addition, the models give disciplines and institutions the ability to effectively monitor curricula and draw comparisons in a more unified manner. Curriculum information models are an efficient innovation in the design and management of curricula in higher education and particularly in the health care disciplines. They rest on the principles of reusable elements and linkages independent of content that were first used in the design, construction, and maintenance of buildings. The translation of this approach to the higher education sector provides a higher level of interoperabil-ity of resources and a clearer pathway for content design within a curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The oral health of Indigenous Australians, whether urban or rural, is significantly poorer than their non-Indigenous counterparts, and it would be expected that the oral health of rural and remote Indigenous Australians would be particularly poor, although the extent of this extra disadvantage has not been thoroughly documented. The aim of this study was to assess the oral health status and oral health needs in a sample of adult residents of selected towns and remote communities in the Kimberley region of North-west Australia. Design: A cross-sectional survey (dental examinations and oral health questionnaires) was carried out. Setting: Rural and remote communities in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Participants: Adults in four selected communities. Results: The mean Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth (DMFT) score for all participants was 9.8 (SD 8.3). The mean DMFT increased with increasing age. Only 7.3% of people were caries-free. A total of 13% of participants had periodontal pockets of 6 mm or more, and only 3% had no periodontal disease. More than a third (37%) of all participants had advanced periodontal disease. Only 21% of participants did not need any dental treatment. Conclusions: The oral health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are listed as one of the priority areas of Australia's National Oral Health Plan. Based on the above results, oral health is clearly an important priority in the Kimberley. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Lip and tongue cancer account for about 40 and 14%, respectively, of all oral cancers in Western Australia. The aim of this study is to report on the trends in incidence rates of lip and tongue cancer in Western Australia over the last ten years, and to generate incidence projections up to the year 2025. Methods: Incidence data for the current analysis were obtained from the Western Australian Cancer Registry for the period 1995 to 2004. Results: Two projection methods indicate an increase in the numbers and rates of lip and tongue cancer cases over the next 19 years, showing that the number of lip cancer patients will increase from 122 in 1995 to between 395 and 477 in 2025, and the number of tongue cancer patients will increase from 41 in 1995 to between 112 and 135 in 2025. Conclusion: The projections indicate there will be increasing rates of lip and tongue cancer in Western Australia, especially in older people. With an ageing population this implies significantly increased caseloads of the most common oral cancers and planning future resource allocation should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The School of Dentistry in Western Australia developed a pregraduation intern year in which final-year students, having completed their didactic education, undertook a focused clinical experiential program (CEP) over an extended year. This program was implemented for the first time in 2002. The aim of this study was to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum as perceived by graduates and to compare the perceptions of those graduates who did the CEP to those who did not. A survey with questions based on the graduate outcomes of the dental school was mailed to all graduates from 2000, 2001 (did not complete CEP), and 2004 (completed CEP). The response rate was 66 percent (n=57) and included twenty-nine respondents who graduated before implementation of the CEP and twenty-eight who completed the CEP. Most respondents (80 percent) were in the twenty to twenty-nine age group, and there were slightly more males (53 percent). Learning outcome items with the highest mean scores were practicing universal precautions (4.2), behaving ethically (4.2), and demonstrating a satisfactory level of core dental knowledge (4.2). Practical skills outcomes with the highest scores were amalgam restorations (4.3), anterior endodontics (4.3), and single crowns (3.9). When comparing the respondents who did CEP (51 percent) with those who did not (49 percent), there were few significant differences. The general findings from this survey were that most graduates, whether completing the CEP or not, perceived themselves to be prepared, competent, and confident to practice as dentists and were most confident in managing problems that they most frequently encountered during training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]