%0 Journal Article
%T The oral health park: a new experience in delivering preventive services in Iran
%A Shahrokh Gheisari RDH
%A DDS
%A MPH
%A Ali Golkari DDS
%A MSc
%A PhD
%J Journal of Oral Health and Oral Epidemiology
%D 2012
%I Kerman University of Medical Sciences
%X BACKGROUND AND AIM:Effective and acceptable preventive dental services are hard to achieve in conjunction withtreatment services. The Oral Health Officeof Fars Province in Iran established theOral Health Park in a deprived partof the city of Shiraz to attract families and school children to receive preventive services. No other treatment wasprovided in the setting. The aim of this study was to compare the number and the cost-efficiency of preventive dentalservices provided in such settings with those of other dental care settings in which preventive services are provided inconjunction with treatment services.METHODS:The Oral Health Park and its activities were closelymonitored for three years. Data on the number ofprovided services and their costs were comparedwith available data on other state settings.RESULTS:From 2008 to 2011, more than 6000children from about 3200 familiesused the Oral Health ParkĄ¯s freeservices. The number of preventive services provided in the Park was tens of times more than similar clinical settings inwhich both preventive and treatment services were provided. Atthe same time, the cost ofeach process provided in thePark was, in average, a quarter ofa similar process in other clinics.CONCLUSIONS:The oral health policy in developing countries such as Iran should move towards establishment ofsettings in which only preventive dental services are provided for a more effective and cost efficient approach.
%K Oral Health
%K Oral Health Servi ces
%K Preventive Services
%K Shiraz
%K Iran
%U http://johoe.kmu.ac.ir/index.php/johoe/article/view/24/29