AVAILABILITY OF PREVENTIVE DENTAL SERVICES TO PRESCHOOL AND SCHOOL CHILDREN WITHIN THE PUBLIC HEALTH SECTOR IN THE CANTON OF SARAJEVO
DOSTUPNOST PREVENTIVNIH STOMATOLOŠKIH USLUGA ZA PREDŠKOLSKU I ŠKOLSKU DJECU U JAVNIM USTANOVAMA NA PODRUČJU KANTONA SARAJEVO
Abstract
Introduction: Oral health is a segment of general human health reflected in the condition of oral tissues, which contributes to overall physical, psychological and social well-being, enabling people to eat, communicate and participate in social life without discomfort, inconvenience or stress. This study aims to determine the frequency of conducting regular oral and dental examinations in early childhood, the practice of parents/guardians in the process of preserving children's oral health, as well as the satisfaction with the services provided.
Materials and methods: The study was conducted as a cross-sectional, descriptive and comparative study at the Primary Healthcare Center of the Canton of Sarajevo. Heads of dental services and service users were the respondents of the study. The study included five heads of dental services and 209 parents who participated via an online Google forms survey that was based on an original questionnaire designed by the study authors.
Results: The availability of dental health care is at a high level according to parents, and it is was determined to be available in 139 or 66.5% of cases. Only 24 or 11.7% of respondents stated that they do not have access to dental health care. Most parents stated that they did not have to wait for a dental examination for their children and that they were satisfied with the accessibility of the staff, giving a high score of 4.14±1.21 on a scale of 1 to 5.
Conclusion: Based on the results of the study, we were able to prove that quality and safe preventive dental care for preschool and school children in the public health sector is provided in the Canton of Sarajevo. Most parents stated that they were satisfied with the professionalism, work and accessibility of the staff.
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