Method: A cross-national policy analysis of the incentives and regulations made available to oral health-care workers (OHCWs) was undertaken for the period 2001-2011. A policy analysis framework was developed and used to comparatively analyse the various constructs and policy actors that were involved in oral health policy making. Primary and secondary data from a desktop literature search, and key stakeholder interviews were comparatively analysed using thematic content analysis, and a Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis was used to identify lessons that could be applied cross-nationally.
Result: The results revealed that both countries have lessons to offer that could be applied cross-nationally. Both countries have a history of inequalities to indigenous persons, and to remote and rural dwellers. Australia offers a number of incentives to encourage OHCWs to serve in rural areas and indigenous people, such as a volunteer internship programme for dentists, the development of unique visa and professional body registration categories to facilitate the migration and registration of foreign OHCW’s to serve in these areas of need, and the Graduate Rural Incentive Scheme (GRIS). South Africa offers the Scarce Skills Allowance and an Occupational-Specific Dispensation (OSD) incentive scheme to attract OHCW’s to serve in rural areas. Additionally there is compulsory post-qualification internship and community service regulations that ensure that OHCWs serve in rural areas.
Conclusion: Both Australia and South Africa’s oral health-care workforce challenges are historically embedded within the countries unique social contexts. Both countries offer incentives that could be applied cross-nationally to reduce disparities and inequalities.