British dental journal
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British dental journal · Feb 2010
Modelling workforce skill-mix: how can dental professionals meet the needs and demands of older people in England?
There is an urgent need to consider the skill-mix of the dental team to meet the oral health needs and demands of the population in general, and older people in particular. As people live longer and retain their teeth there will be a progressive change in both the volume and type of dental care required, and the demand for care. Operational research modelling provides the opportunity to examine and test future scenarios for National Health Service (NHS) care. ⋯ The model suggests that with widening skill-mix, dental care professionals can play a major role in building dental care capacity for older people in future. The implications for health policy, professional bodies and dental teamworking are discussed.
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British dental journal · Feb 2010
Summary of: Modelling workforce skill-mix: how can dental professionals meet the needs and demands of older people in England?
Background There is an urgent need to consider the skill-mix of the dental team to meet the oral health needs and demands of the population in general, and older people in particular. As people live longer and retain their teeth there will be a progressive change in both the volume and type of dental care required, and the demand for care. Operational research modelling provides the opportunity to examine and test future scenarios for National Health Service (NHS) care. ⋯ Modelling a healthcare system with 'no skill-mix' resulted in the lowest volume of clinical staff equivalents (dentists: 8,668) providing care for older people, whereas maximum skill-mix involved more staff (clinical staff = 10,337, of whom 2,623 were dentists, 4,180 hygienist/therapists and 3,534 clinical dental technicians) if all care is provided at the relevant level of competence. Conclusion The model suggests that with widening skill-mix, dental care professionals can play a major role in building dental care capacity for older people in future. The implications for health policy, professional bodies and dental teamworking are discussed.