Planning, Implementing, and Evaluating a Program to Address the Oral Health Needs of Aboriginal Children in Port Augusta, Australia

Table 3

Key differences between ACDP and the mainstream SDS.

Issue	Aboriginal child dental program	Mainstream school dental service
Location	The clinic operated from within PWHS, a service that the local Aboriginal community was accustomed to accessing for whole of health and health-related services	Mainstream clinic, used by non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal clients
Integrated	Into the health service as part of the holistic philosophy of Aboriginal Health Care	Not part of any other health service
Health promotion	Staff were involved in health promotion initiatives in schools and through community events	No specific health promotion programs targeting Aboriginal children or families
Staff	An Aboriginal Primary Health Care worker was the key contact and liaison for the community and clinical staff, providing community links, contacts, information, and cultural support. Over seventy percent of the staff at PWHS are Aboriginal and are representative of the diverse language groups accessing the service	No Aboriginal staff
Transport	A transport officer was employed to transport children and parents to and from dental appointments, to the chemist and specialist services	No specific transport services available for Aboriginal clients