Abstract

CADER, R  and  NAIDOO, S. The Oral Health Section of the Road to Health Chart (RtHC) - How useful is it?. S. Afr. dent. j. [online]. 2019, vol.74, n.10, pp.556-560. ISSN 0375-1562.  http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2519-0105/2019/v74no10a6.

Oral diseases are a major worldwide public health problem. Eighty per cent of caries goes untreated, below the 50% goal set by the South African National Department of Health. 80% of the SA population depends on state services for oral healthcare. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises commencement of screening when the first tooth appears, or no later than at 12 months of age. The Road to Health Chart (RtHC) is a convenient home-based method of monitoring and improving child health. How effective is it?; METHODOLOGY: A multistage cluster sampling technique selected seventy-seven health professionals as study participants for a review of their RtHC and for questionnaires and focus group interviews RESULTS: 243 oral health pages of RtHC's were reviewed. Only 27% had completed oral health sections, of which dental professionals had better knowledge; CONCLUSION: Those who work in Baby Well clinics are ill-informed and have a lack of knowledge of the relevance and importance of the oral health section of the RtHC, which is not adequately utilized.

        · text in English     · English ( pdf )