A Change Project to Improve Dental Services for Preschool Children

This book describes a new and unique approach that augments the methods by which dental services are provided to young children within the primary care setting in the public sector. In an era of recession and financial crises, it is naïve to expect additional capital and human resources be invested in providing healthcare services. The author advocates a 'paradigm within a paradigm' concept that involves utilising education in healthcare as a cost-effective tool for improving dental healthcare. The key feature of this approach lies in providing relevant dental training to existing non-dental staff to enable them function as an integral part of the dental team. Public health nurses, for example, being in regular contact with preschool children and their parents through developmental visits, could represent a valuable resource for the dental team. This routine service could be utilised to deliver basic preventive dental care at no additional costs. For dental healthcare managers who aspire to the elimination of dental decay utilising a novel approach, here is how it's done!