Access to dental care in South African townships is very limited, as indicated by a caries prevalence of 84% and severity of 4.9 (dmft) in 6 year olds. To tackle this burden school-based tooth-brushing programs have been suggested to be cost-effective while reducing inequalities in accessibility. However, despite their efforts, the caries burden remains high.~Alternatives are mobile dental services or treatment techniques that do not require extensive equipment such as Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART). Mobile dental services are more cost-effective than stationary clinics, but the costs of acquiring, outfitting, and running a mobile dental truck are factors that may hamper the broader use of this model. ART on the other hand is easy to execute with minimal equipment and monetary resources. But the drawback is a typically lower survival rate of ART restorations compared to conventional placed restorations.~This study aims to further assess and compare the performance and cost-effectiveness of glass-ionomer restorations when placed using either ART (in a classroom) or conventional (in a mobile clinic) cavity preparation in South African school children stemming from a periurban area. The results of this research may help to assess and implement future oral health care programs.
This study will investigate the performance and cost-effectiveness of glass-ionomer restorations placed in school children in an outreach setting in rural areas in South Africa over a 2-year period, when placed using either ART (in a classroom) or conventional (in a mobile clinic) cavity preparation.