Clinical oral care in Zonkizizwe: The ART approach as model for treatment provision on primary care level

Zonkizizwe (Zulu; Eng: All Nations) is one of many informal settlements located

South East of Johannesburg. Zonkizizwe has been founded in 1989. Today, it has an

estimated population of 150 000 people. The majority of its residents are Zulu speaking

people who migrated from KwaZulu/Natal to the metropolitan area of Johannesburg.

The main forms of housing in Zonkizizwe are informal dwellings. However, people have

access to electricity, sewerage system with outside toilets and tap water in their yards.

Zonkizizwe has 2 primary and 1 secondary school and one police station. Existing

health facilities comprise of 2 Primary Health Care clinics. Four nurses and two security

guards work in each clinic. In Zonkizizwe, general health problems include TB,

HIV/AIDS infections but also diabetes and hypertension, especially amongst older

people. There is no fixed oral health care clinic. Dental patients have to travel 50 km

to receive dental treatment in Natalspriut hospital. The prevalence of active caries and

subsequent need for restorative dental care amongst the black population in major

metropolitan areas, like the Johannesburg region, is high. Amongst adults (age groups

20-64 years), caries prevalence and restorative treatment needs range between 61,8 -

80,0 percent and 31,0 - 73,6 per cent, respectively (Du Plessis , Hodges, Pienaar and

Oosthuizen, 1994).