Background: Patient charges and availability of dental services influence utilization of dental services. There is little\navailable information on the cost of dental services and availability of materials and equipment in public dental\nfacilities in Africa. This study aimed to determine the relative cost and availability of dental services, materials and\nequipment in public oral care facilities in Tanzania. The local factors affecting availability were also studied.\nMethods: A survey of all district and regional dental clinics in selected regions was conducted in 2014. A total of\n28/30 facilities participated in the study. A structured interview was undertaken amongst practitioners and clinic\nmanagers within the facilities. Daily resources for consumption (DRC) were used for estimation of patientsââ?¬â?¢ relative\ncost. DRC are the quantified average financial resources required for an adult Tanzanianââ?¬â?¢s overall consumption per day.\nResults: Tooth extractions were found to cost four times the DRC whereas restorations were 9ââ?¬â??10 times the DRC.\nStudied facilities provided tooth extractions (100 %), scaling (86 %), fillings (79 %), root canal treatment (46 %) and\nfabrication of removable partial dentures (32 %). The ratio of tooth fillings to extractions in the facilities was 1:16. Less\nthan 50 % of the facilities had any of the investigated dental materials consistently available throughout the year, and\njust three facilities had all the investigated equipment functional and in use.\nConclusions: Dental materials and equipment availability, skills of the practitioners and the cost of services all play\nmajor roles in provision and utilization of comprehensive oral care. These factors are likely to be interlinked and should\nbe taken into consideration when studying any of the factors individually.
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