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OBJECTIVES: Postgraduate education for primary care dentists offers numerous benefits in terms of advancing clinical skills and career opportunities, culminating in improved treatment and patient outcomes. There is a strong desire amongst primary care dentists to enhance skills and provide contemporaneous evidence-based dentistry, accredited by higher educational qualifications. However, significant barriers hinder their pursuit of further training and career advancement. The aim of this study is to explore the barriers to undertaking formal postgraduate education for dental practitioners working in primary dental care. Exploration of these perceptions should help to identify further areas of study to help alleviate some of these obstacles, enabling more primary care dentists to access postgraduate education and improve patient care. METHOD: A qualitative study was undertaken through individual narrative interviews with primary care dental practitioners (n = 20) with varying levels of experience and located across the UK. All interviews were conducted using a study guide, transcribed and analysed thematically. RESULTS: The participants indicated that there is a strong desire to undertake postgraduate study amongst primary care dental practitioners. Significant barriers were identified, with three major themes emerging: 1.Personal Cost: Time constraints and accessibility, Financial Burden, Family Commitments. 2.Business Viability: Business time constraints, Inability to use Enhanced Skills, Remuneration systems. 3.Business Culture and Team Dynamics: Stage of Career, Current Practice Business Model, Leadership and Vision. These barriers appear to be multifaceted and interconnected, however participants also identified significant opportunities to address them. CONCLUSION: Study participants identified a range of personal and professional barriers to undertaking postgraduate dental education whilst working in primary dental care. Practitioners working within predominately NHS orientated practices perceived more professional barriers than those in private practice. The majority of participants indicated their preference for hybrid models of education which would work around clinical commitments. Further research and engagement with stakeholders should be undertaken to help reduce these barriers.

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Regulations that restrict the tasks that credentialed workers are allowed to perform may affect a firm's input choices, output, and which part of the market the firm serves. Using dental practice survey data from 1989 to 2014 and a stacked difference-in-differences design, this paper examines the effects of state-level scope of practice regulations on the behavior of dental practices. Results suggest that scope of practice deregulation in regards to dental hygienists' ability to administer nitrous oxide or local anesthesia is associated with fewer dentist visits per week in the short-term, lower patient wait times, and an increased likelihood of treating lower revenue generating publicly insured patients. There is weak evidence that scope of practice deregulation alters a practice's labor inputs.

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Oral health constitutes a significant public health concern in Sub-Saharan Africa. The precise burden of oral diseases and the adequacy of oral healthcare provision remain often unknown. The present study aims to evaluate key components of the healthcare system in Sudan and the delivery of oral healthcare across eight dimensions: Healthcare System Framework, Financing, Service Delivery, Epidemiology, Prevention, Personnel, Dental Education and Training System, and Health Benefit Package. The evaluation of Sudan's healthcare system and oral healthcare provision utilizing the extended World Health Organization building blocks healthcare systems analysis framework. The evolving healthcare landscape in Sudan is characterized by a transition towards a Bismarckian model, a shift facilitated by the implementation of a National Health Insurance Fund. In 2018, Sudan's total healthcare expenditure surged to 2.4 billion US dollars and dental care accounted for less than 1% of this financial allocation. During the period spanning from 2016 to 2019, there was an expansion in the healthcare infrastructure and utilization rates. The number of healthcare facilities and hospital admissions respectively increased from 2,083 to 3,578 and from 14,967,113 to 22,455,772, while the registered number of dentists in 2019 reached 8,964. Within the framework of the national healthcare system, medical consultations and emergency treatments are encompassed in the oral health benefit package. Sudan's healthcare system grapples with endemic vulnerabilities compounded by recurrent political and economic challenges. Nevertheless, strides towards an insurance-based healthcare system and the upward trend observed in oral healthcare provision and infrastructure assets offer promising prospects for future generations.

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BACKGROUND: The resource needs of health services are served by the recognition of qualifications across borders which allows professionals to migrate between countries. The movement of dentists across the European Union (EU), especially into the United Kingdom (UK), has provided a valuable boost to workforce supply. Recent changes to policy recognising overseas qualifications have brought attention to the equivalence of qualifications awarded in EU countries. Professional regulators need to be confident that dentists who qualified elsewhere have the appropriate knowledge, skills and experience to practise safely and effectively. The aim of this study was to compare UK and EU dental curricula, identify any differences, and compare the extent of pre-qualification clinical experience. METHODS: This was a mixed methods study comprising a questionnaire and website searches to identify information about curricula, competences, and quality assurance arrangements in each country. The questionnaire was sent to organisations responsible for regulating dental education or dental practice in EU member states. This was supplemented with information obtained from website searches of stakeholder organisations for each country including regulators, professional associations, ministries, and providers of dental education. A map of dental training across the EU was created. RESULTS: National learning outcomes for dental education were identified for seven countries. No national outcomes were identified 13 countries; therefore, learning outcomes were mapped at institution level only. No information about learning outcomes was available for six countries. In one country, there is no basic dental training. Clinical skills and communication were generally well represented. Management and leadership were less represented. Only eight countries referenced a need for graduates to be aware of their own limitations. In most countries, quality assurance of dental education is not undertaken by dental organisations, but by national quality assurance agencies for higher education. In many cases, it was not possible to ascertain the extent of graduates' direct clinical experience with patients. CONCLUSIONS: The findings demonstrate considerable variation in learning outcomes for dental education between countries and institutions in Europe. This presents a challenge to decision-makers responsible for national recognition and accreditation of diverse qualifications across Europe to maintain a safe, capable, international workforce; but one that this comparison of programmes helps to address.

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In this paper, we seek to understand feminization of the dentist workforce moving beyond previous research that has looked at gender in isolation. We contend that little consideration has been given to how gender interacts with other important social identities such as race/ethnicity to influence the opportunities and barriers that female dentists encounter during their dental career. We argue that the scholarly debate about the feminization of the dentistry has not acknowledged the intersectionality of women's lives. Intersectionality describes how multiple social identities (such as race/ethnicity, gender, and class) overlap and interact to inform outcomes, creating disadvantages and/or privileges. Our thesis is that the increasing feminization of the dentist workforce is complicated and paradoxical, creating both opportunities for women and gender imbalances and blockages within the profession. To support our thesis, we critically reviewed the literature on feminization and analysed UK and US workforce data. While the female dentist workforce in both the UK and the US has increased significantly over the past decade, the growth in the number of female dentists was not equal across all racial/ethnic groups. The largest increase in the number of female dentists was among White and Asian women. Viewing the feminization of the dentist workforce through an intersectionality lens exposes the multiple and complex experiences of women, as well as the power dynamics in dentistry. Feminization in dentistry demonstrates the importance of presence, privilege, and power. Based on our assessment of the dentist workforce, dentistry may be less inclusive, despite being perceived as more diverse. Further research should explore how power and privilege may operate in dentistry. Dentistry should embrace intersectionality to provide an inclusive evaluation of equity in the workforce.

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Background and Objective: One of the major factors affecting access to quality oral healthcare in low- and middle-income countries is the under-supply of the dental workforce. The aim of this study was to use Geographical Information System (GIS) to analyse the distribution and accessibility of the dental workforce and facilities across the Kenyan counties. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study targeting dental professionals and their practices in Kenya in 2013. Using QGIS 3.16, these data were overlaid with data on population size and urbanization levels. For access measurement, buffers were drawn around each clinic at distances of 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 km, and the population within each determined. Findings: Nine hundred six dental professionals in 337 dental clinic locations were included in the study. Dentists, community oral health officers (equivalent to dental therapists) and dental technologists comprised 72%, 15% and 12%, respectively. Nairobi county with 100% urbanization and >4000 people/km2 had 43% of the workforce and a dentist to population ratio of 1:9,018. Wajir with an urbanization level of 15% and 12 people/km2 had no dental facility. Overall, 11%, 19%, 35% and 58% of the Kenyan population were within 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 km radius of a dental clinic respectively. Conclusion: Maldistribution of dental workforce in Kenya persists, particularly in less urbanized and sparsely populated areas. GIS map production give health planners a better visual picture of areas that are most in need of health care services based on population profiles.

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BACKGROUND: By midcentury, the US population will be remarkably more racially and ethnically diverse, with a dramatic increase in the proportion of older adults. This report addresses ongoing oral health disparities and inequitable access to care related to these changes, with emphasis on implications for the workforce, taking note of effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. RELEVANT CONSIDERATIONS: Considering that social determinants shape health behaviors, reflection on the most effective type of dental workforce should take into account population characteristics and the relationship of oral health with overall health and general well-being. The dental workforce composition will need to mirror changing demographics, and effective dental health teams will be characterized by cultural competence, humility, readiness, and capacity to adapt to changes. In addition, the influence of social histories and the pandemic on health and dental care utilization is important. Equally important are the inclusion of oral health literacy in treatment planning and disease prevention, as well as oral health-related quality of life in considering outcomes of care. Providing patient-centered care for a diverse population requires tailored treatment modalities, as well as intra- and interprofessional approaches. In this way, the whole person can be cared for, including those with special health care needs, whether related to chronic disease, mental health conditions, or behavioral, physical, and social differences. CONCLUSIONS: Changing demographics will affect the delivery of oral health care, including who can best provide care and how, what the needs are, and in what ways prevention and treatment can most effectively be accomplished. The education of dentists must address unmet population needs, including for those with special health care concerns and older adults. These population groups are influenced by a variety of social determinants, and provision of services may need to occur in alternative care delivery settings. Identifying and addressing the needs of every patient within this broad array of new requirements will challenge dental professionals to redefine what it means to be a health care practitioner. KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER STATEMENT: This article describes how sociodemographic changes in the United States will challenge the dental workforce in new ways and points to research and practice needs to address these challenges. Oral health disparities and the changing oral health care needs of patients from diverse and underserved groups are discussed, with a focus on the implications for delivery of care and policies that are needed to improve oral health outcomes for all.

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Aim: The present study aimed to describe the building blocks of the oral health system, including the role that the community plays in strengthening the oral health system in Nigeria. Methodology: This research was a scoping review of the existing literature retrieved from search engines and databases. Thus, we utilised grey literature, peer-reviewed literature, policy documents and websites. The oral health system was analysed using the World Health Organisation's Health systems framework, and we adapted this framework by introducing a seventh block, community participation. We also inserted the links between the oral health service delivery and oral health workforce blocks of the framework to improve the oral health outcomes. Results: More dental clinics are required to improve the availability and accessibility of oral health services. Dental workforce expansion is imperative. This can be approached by training of junior cadre dental professionals and incorporating community health practitioners to deliver basic oral care. There is an unregulated access to medication to treat dental conditions; hence, oral disease treatments need to be included in the country's treatment guidelines to improve standard of care. The government needs to improve on overall health spending and invariably increase oral health care allocation urgently. Furthermore, the country's stewardship of oral health care is hinged on well disseminated and implemented national policies on oral health. The oral health system can achieve its overall goals with community participation, engagement and ownership. Conclusion: Strengthening the oral health system in Nigeria requires urgent attention on each building block and cross-cutting interventions across the system's building blocks. The role of the community will need to be recognised because it is vital in sustaining any organisational change.

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PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: Access to dental care for older adults is challenging, especially for those living in rural areas. People living in rural areas are less likely to visit the dentist, have greater oral health needs, and face significant oral health disparities. Given the projected increase in the older adult population, the aim of this study was to conduct a scoping review (SR) to identify the current landscape of geriatric dental training in rural healthcare settings. METHODS: Four guiding concepts (i.e., dental workforce, education/training, rural setting, and older adult population) were searched in PubMed, Embase (Elsevier), Dental and Oral Sciences Source (EBSCO), and ERIC (EBSCO) following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. EndNote and Covidence were used for de-duplication algorithms and title/abstract screening. RESULTS: Seventy-nine citations were identified for the final full-text review based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, and ten articles were eligible for data extraction as applicable to the research question. Three themes emerged from the review: geriatric dentistry inclusion within dental school curricula, clinical training at rural/remote locations, and improving geriatric oral health knowledge through interprofessional training. CONCLUSION: This SR highlights the limited number of currently trained geriatric dentists, as well as, the paucity of dental programs/curricula offered to produce competent dental geriatricians with an advanced skill set for practicing in rural settings. Our review indicates the need to expand the dental workforce, curricula, and training to better position dentists to serve the older and underserved population in rural and remote areas.

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OBJECTIVES: To build a predictive model based on the distribution pattern of dentists and population in selective districts of Nepal. METHOD: Cross-sectional descriptive study conducted using secondary data from the census report and available dentist data of Nepal. Population data were obtained from the most recently available census. For dentists' data, a literature search was carried out in the databases such as PubMed, Google scholar, One Search and Medline. All data were extracted from the integrated database in the Geographic Information System (GIS), and a predictive model was built. RESULTS: Overall, there was an uneven distribution of dentists in Nepal. When the distribution of dentists was compared with the population clusters, it was found that the slope of the population growth was below or equal to (≤) 20,000 for three provinces (2, 6, and 7), which means that lower numbers of dentists are available with respect to population density in these provinces. The slope was above 50,000 for province 3, and the number of dentists was almost half of the total nationwide. The number of dentists correlated with population clusters. CONCLUSION: There are substantial disparities in the distribution of dentists in Nepal. Dentists were distributed relative to higher population clusters and were unevenly distributed. The Nepal government should make necessary arrangements to address the need for the human workforce in resource-limited settings. The methods used in this study could be applied globally, as the data used are available for most countries.

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OBJECTIVE: To assess Malaysian dental therapists' job satisfaction, motivation, turnover intention and perceived future roles, following recent changes in the regulations that allow them to provide dental care within their scope of practice in the private sector. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to public dental therapists who were selected using a stratified random sampling technique. Questions included items on social structure, job satisfaction and motivation (based on the Warr-Cook-Wall scale), turnover intention (based on four cognitive processes) and perceived future roles. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the predictors of dental therapists' turnover intention. RESULTS: Overall, a majority (>90%) of the participants had high job satisfaction and job motivation, with total mean scores of 45.70 ± 6.86 and 21.16 ± 2.63, respectively. A total of 8.3% intended to leave the public sector to work in a different organization. Of those who chose to remain as a dental therapist in the next five years, only 7% considered working in the private sector. The significant predictors for turnover intention were educational attainment, years of working experience, job satisfaction level and future preferred working sector. CONCLUSION: Although the newly introduced Dental Act allows dental therapists to expand their roles to the private setting, very few intended to do so. This could be related to them having a high level of job satisfaction and job motivation while serving in the public sector.

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Aim: The present study aimed to describe the building blocks of the oral health system, including the role that the community plays in strengthening the oral health system in Nigeria. Methodology: This research was a scoping review of the existing literature retrieved from search engines and databases. Thus, we utilised grey literature, peer-reviewed literature, policy documents and websites. The oral health system was analysed using the World Health Organisation's Health systems framework, and we adapted this framework by introducing a seventh block, community participation. We also inserted the links between the oral health service delivery and oral health workforce blocks of the framework to improve the oral health outcomes. Results: More dental clinics are required to improve the availability and accessibility of oral health services. Dental workforce expansion is imperative. This can be approached by training of junior cadre dental professionals and incorporating community health practitioners to deliver basic oral care. There is an unregulated access to medication to treat dental conditions; hence, oral disease treatments need to be included in the country's treatment guidelines to improve standard of care. The government needs to improve on overall health spending and invariably increase oral health care allocation urgently. Furthermore, the country's stewardship of oral health care is hinged on well disseminated and implemented national policies on oral health. The oral health system can achieve its overall goals with community participation, engagement and ownership. Conclusion: Strengthening the oral health system in Nigeria requires urgent attention on each building block and cross-cutting interventions across the system's building blocks. The role of the community will need to be recognised because it is vital in sustaining any organisational change.

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Background: Dental caries remains a public health threat of concern among children. About 2.3 billion people are affected by dental caries, of which 530 million are children globally. Objective: This study was carried out to identify sugar fermenting bacteria in the oral cavity and their antibiotic susceptibility pattern, assess the association with sugar fermenter bacteria and dental caries and evaluate dental caries outcomes among children. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted between October 2021 and February 2022 at Ruhengeri Referral Hospital. About 136 oral swab samples were collected from children with and without dental caries at 1:1 ratio. The samples were put in Stuart sterile container and transported to INES-clinical microbiology laboratory for microbial identification. Logistic regression analysis of demographic characteristics was performed to study the relationship between demographic variables and dental caries. Chi-square test was performed for the association between variables. Results: About 67.6% were male, while children of age 7­9 years (64.7%) dominated the age groups. Lactobacilli spp (15.29%) and Streptococcus mutans (12.94%) were the most predominant microorganisms observed in the oral cavity among children with dental caries. The S. mutans (x2 = 27.03, P < 0.00001, 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.2901­0.5785), S. aureus (x2 = 34.59, P < 0.00001, 95% CI = 0.3541­0.6292), Enterobacter aerogenes (x2 = 13.5, P = 0.000239, 95% CI = 0.151­0.4622), Serratia marcescens (x2 = 11.64, P = 0.00645, 95% CI = 0.1275­0.4418) and Klebsiella pneumonia (x2 = 13.51, P = 0.000237, 95% CI = 0.1511­0.4623) were significantly associated with dental caries. Teeth loss (x2 = 51.04, P < 0.00001, 95% CI = 0.4757­0.7205), teeth pain (x2 = 5.05, P = 0.0246, 95% CI = 0.0249­0.33499), and infection (x2 = 4.73, P = 0.02964, 95% CI = 0.0186­0.3441) were dental outcomes associated with tooth decay. Ciprofloxacin, clindamycin, and amoxicillin were the most sensitive antibiotics, while vancomycin and chloramphenicol were the most resistant. Conclusion: Sugar consumption favours the growth of sugar fermenter bacteria that cause dental caries among children. Dental caries is associated with adverse oral health outcomes among children. Oral health education is recommended for children. Parents are advised to reduce the consumption of sugary food for their children for oral health safety.

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OBJECTIVES: Melbourne Dental School's (MDS) rural dental clinical placement program operates in two Victorian rural areas and offers final year dental students an integrated program of practical clinical experience and rural lifestyle exposure. The objective of this study was to understand the student's experiences to determine whether they increased the likelihood of them seeking rural employment after graduation. DESIGN: The University of Melbourne final year dental students attended 5-week mandatory rural clinical placements in 2018 and 2019. At the completion of their placement, students were invited to complete an anonymous questionnaire about their experiences, which had both quantitative and qualitative questions. This study examined the qualitative data using thematic analysis to identify common themes. SETTING: Rural clinical dental placements at Goulburn Valley Health and Latrobe Community Health Service. PARTICIPANTS: Final year Dentistry and Oral Health students. INTERVENTIONS: Clinical placementevaluation questionnaire. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: To examinedentalstudents interest in rural practicepost rural clinical placement. RESULTS: Of the 129 students who completed the survey, 116 completed the open-ended questions and four themes were identified. Rich clinical experience; social capital; rural life and infrastructure. High levels of satisfaction were reported across all themes. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the rural clinical program to be a positive and enjoyable placement which increased dental students' clinical practice experience and their interest in considering rural practice upon graduation. Exposure to rural lifestyle and supportive clinical and social relationships were shown to be important influences. The current survey can benefit from refinement and further research following up MDS graduate workplace locations is recommended.

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BACKGROUND: In Sierra Leone (SL), a low-income country in West Africa, dental care is very limited, largely private, and with services focused in the capital Freetown. There is no formal dental education. Ten dentists supported by a similar number of dental care professionals (DCPs) serve a population of over 7.5 million people. The objective of this research was to estimate needs-led requirements for dental care and human resources for oral health to inform capacity building, based on a national survey of oral health in SL. METHODS: A dedicated operational research (OR) decision tool was constructed in Microsoft Excel to support this project. First, total treatment needs were estimated from our national epidemiological survey data for three key ages (6, 12 and 15 years), collected using the 'International Caries Classification and Management System (ICCMS)' tool. Second, oral health needs were extrapolated to whole population levels for each year-group, based on census demographic data. Third, full time equivalent (FTE) workforce capacity needs were estimated for mid-level providers in the form of Dental Therapists (DTs) and non-dental personnel based on current oral disease management approaches and clinical timings for treatment procedures. Fourth, informed by an expert panel, three oral disease management scenarios were explored for the national population: (1) Conventional care (CC): comprising oral health promotion (including prevention), restorations and tooth extraction; (2) Surgical and Preventive care (S5&6P and S6P): comprising oral health promotion (inc. prevention) and tooth extraction (D5 and D6 together, & at D6 level only); and (3) Prevention only (P): consisting of oral health promotion (inc. prevention). Fifth, the findings were extrapolated to the whole population based on demography, assuming similar levels of treatment need. RESULTS: To meet the needs of a single year-group of childrens' needs, an average of 163 DTs (range: 133-188) would be required to deliver Conventional care (CC); 39 DTs (range: 30-45) to deliver basic Surgical and Preventive care (S6P); 54 DTs for more extended Surgical and Preventive care (S5&6P) (range 38-68); and 27 DTs (range: 25-32) to deliver Prevention only (P). When scaled up to the total population, an estimated 6,147 DTs (range: 5,565-6,870) would be required to deliver Conventional care (CC); 1,413 DTs (range: 1255-1438 DTs) to deliver basic Surgical and Preventive care (S6P); 2,000 DTs (range 1590-2236) for more extended Surgical and Preventive care (S5&6P) (range 1590-2236); and 1,028 DTs to deliver Prevention only (P) (range: 1016-1046). Furthermore, if oral health promotion activities, including individualised prevention, could be delivered by non-dental personnel, then the remaining surgical care could be delivered by 385 DTs (range: 251-488) for the S6P scenario which was deemed as the minimum basic baseline service involving extracting all teeth with extensive caries into dentine. More realistically, 972 DTs (range: 586-1179) would be needed for the S5&6P scenario in which all teeth with distinctive and extensive caries into dentine are extracted. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates the huge dental workforce needs required to deliver even minimal oral health care to the Sierra Leone population. The gap between the current workforce and the oral health needs of the population is stark and requires urgent action. The study also demonstrates the potential for contemporary epidemiological tools to predict dental treatment needs and inform workforce capacity building in a low-income country, exploring a range of solutions involving mid-level providers and non-dental personnel.

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BACKGROUND: Expansion of the dental team may play a role in increasing access to oral health care. In 2009, Minnesota became the first state to formally license dental therapists (DTs). METHODS: The authors surveyed DTs and advanced dental therapists (ADTs) in Minnesota to gain a better understanding of those who enter the profession and their motivation for doing so, as well as to solicit their opinions on the overall structure of dental therapy education and the regulatory aspects of the profession. RESULTS: The response rate was 53.1%. DTs and ADTs were split on whether a dental hygiene degree should be required. Primary reasons for entering dental therapy included more autonomy and a larger scope of practice. Respondents expressed a desire for broadened prescribing rights. The median annual income was in the $81,000 through $90,000 bracket. CONCLUSIONS: Minnesota DTs and ADTs must practice in underserved communities. However, their ability to expand access to oral health care is affected by their licensure requirement, scope of practice, and prescription rights. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Policy makers considering dental therapy legislation must consider educational requirements and scope of practice when crafting state legislation. Broadening the scope of practice may allow for more impactful care for at-risk communities.

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OBJECTIVES: The study aims at reviewing Myanmar's current situation to consider an improved oral health system and at promoting the oral health status of the Myanmar population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This review was conducted using the World Health Organization's (WHO's) six building blocks of the health system: oral health-care service delivery, dental workforce, oral health information system, essential medicine, health financing, and leadership and governance. The review was established on scientific articles and documents and information from reliable government and nongovernment organizations' websites. RESULTS: According to the National Oral Health Survey (2016-2017), the prevalence rate of untreated caries in six-year-old Myanmar children (84.1%), and in the 35-44 and 65-74 age group (above 40%) is high, which reflects a low utilization of oral health-care services. The dentist to population ratio is approximately 1:16,000: There are around 5,000 dentists and 400 trained dental nurses in Myanmar, and only about 1,000 dentists serve in government sectors. The inequalities in dental health care are compounded by a limited dental workforce and inequality of dentists between the public and private sectors in Myanmar. In the last National Health Plan (NHP, 2006-2011), the Myanmar government's funding for required dental equipment and materials in each dental unit (around 5726 USD) has been considered inadequate. The current expenditure is not transparent. The other challenges are an insufficient supply of dental materials and instruments to all public dental sectors and a lack of oral health-care infrastructure. CONCLUSIONS: Such findings suggest a pressing need to address the effective oral health-care system and decree the specific goals for the Myanmar population's oral health.

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OBJECTIVES: Examine the relationship between supply of care provided by dental therapists and emergency dental consultations in Alaska Native communities. METHODS: Explanatory sequential mixed-methods study using Alaska Medicaid and electronic health record (EHR) data from the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation (YKHC), and interview data from six Alaska Native communities. From the Medicaid data, we estimated community-level dental therapy treatment days and from the EHR data we identified emergency dental consultations. We calculated Spearman partial correlation coefficients and ran confounder-adjusted models for children and adults. Interview data collected from YKHC providers (N=16) and community members (N=125) were content analysed. The quantitative and qualitative data were integrated through connecting. Results were visualized with a joint display. RESULTS: There were significant negative correlations between dental therapy treatment days and emergency dental consultations for children (partial rank correlation = -0.48; p⟨0.001) and for adults (partial rank correlation = -0.18; p=0.03). Six pediatric themes emerged: child-focused health priorities; school-based dental programs; oral health education and preventive behaviors; dental care availability; healthier teeth; and satisfaction with care. There were four adult themes: satisfaction with care; adults as a lower priority; difficulties getting appointments; and limited scope of practice of dental therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Alaska Native children, and to a lesser extent adults, in communities served more intensively by dental therapists have benefitted. There are high levels of unmet dental need as evidenced by high emergency dental consultation rates. Future research should identify ways to address unmet dental needs, especially for adults.

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OBJECTIVE: The dental workforce is facing unprecedented change globally as a result of multiple influences. There is a need for research informed action to map possible drivers for change at the national level and examine their potential implications in order to shape the dental workforce to serve population needs. The objective of this study was to explore key stakeholders' views on the drivers for change for the Malaysian dental workforce and their potential implications. METHOD: Stakeholders from key dental organisations/professions in Malaysia were purposively sampled and invited to participate in a semi-structured interview (n = 20) using a pre-tested topic guide. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using Framework Analysis. RESULTS: Drivers for workforce were identified across four main domains: policy-politics; trends in demography; social and economic; and, technology-scientific development. The pace of change and possible interplay between drivers, most notably government policy, liberalisation of education and health services and challenges of workforce governance, followed by Malaysian demography and health trends. Implications for the future, including possible uncertainties, particularly in relation to specialisation and privatisation were identified, together in balancing and meeting public health needs/demands with professional career expectations. CONCLUSION: Stakeholders' views on the high-level drivers for change broadly mirror those of high-income countries; however, specific challenges for Malaysia relate to rapid expansion of dental education and a young workforce with significant career aspirations, together with imbalances in the health care system. The impact of these drivers was perceived as leading to greatest uncertainty around specialisation and privatisation of the future workforce.

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Background@#High prevalence of oral health problems persists across all age groups among Filipinos despite the continued endeavors of the government and professional societies. This position statement aimed to generate consensus policy recommendations to protect and promote oral health in the Philippines as an integral part of the healthcare service in light of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act. @*Methods@#An evidence-based policy brief and presentations of dental and policy experts were used as discussion points in the roundtable discussion conducted by the UP Manila Health Policy Development Hub. Key stakeholders from various sectors were convened to generate inputs for policy actions and amendments to oral health related policies. ools.@*Results@#Thematic analysis of the discussion was organized using the WHO Building Blocks of Health Systems, which yielded practical, accessible, and population-wide interventions (2010). The following issues were highlighted: (a) health service delivery needs strong collaboration of LGUs; (b) insufficient workforce of dental professionals; (c) market availability of sufficiently fluoridated toothpaste per age group; and (d) health financing scheme on oral health services.@*Conclusion and Recommendations@#With the shift in the health system landscape brought by the UHC Act, timely and responsive inter-sectoral interventions, focusing on prevention, must be set to attain the target decrease in the prevalence of dental caries. It was also to recommend to (i) engage the academe and training institutions to increase the workforce, (ii) consider adopting international standards on sugar consumption as appropriate, and (iii) ensure sufficient funds for sustainability of oral health programs, particularly school-based caries prevention program starting in pre-schools.

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