Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART) was introduced in the South African public oral health service and the following observations were made:
ART implementation barriers:One year after ART training completion high patient load/work load, followed by insufficient provision of materials/instruments, were the two most inhibiting barriers to the use of ART in the public oral health services. Dentists' perceptions of low clinical skill levels in performing ART confidently inhibited the use of ART in primary teeth in children [1].
Operator acceptance: Five years after training, ART had been used consistently in this selected group of operators as the predominant restorative treatment used for primary teeth and showed a significant annual increase in permanent teeth [2].
Patient acceptance:Dental anxiety scores were lower both in child and in adult patients treated by ART than in those who received traditional restorative treatments [3].
Financial efficacy: The annual capital cost for the ART approach is approximately 50% of the other two options (e.g. per multiple surface restoration ART = ZAR 1.58; amalgam and composite resin restorative procedures: ZAR 3.12 and ZAR 3.10 respectively), despite the fact that ART restorations are rendered in a modern dental setting [4].
References
[1] Mickenautsch S, Frencken JE, Van't Hof M. Factors inhibiting the implementation of the Atraumatic Restorative Treatment approach in public oral health services in Gauteng Province, South Africa. J Appl Oral Sci. 2007;15(1):1-8. Abstract
[2] Mickenautsch S, Frencken JE. Utilization of the ART approach in a group of public oral health operators in South Africa: a 5-year longitudinal study. BMC Oral Health. 2009;9:10. Abstract
[3] Mickenautsch S, Frencken JE, van't HM. Atraumatic restorative treatment and dental anxiety in outpatients attending public oral health clinics in South Africa. J Public Health Dent. 2007;67(3):179-184. Abstract
[4] Mickenautsch S, Munshi I, Grossman ES. Comparative cost of ART and conventional treatment within a dental school clinic. SADJ. 2002;57(2):52-58. Abstract
