Abstract
The study is aimed at evaluating the recent effects of increasing hardship allowance paid for dentists
who are particularly working in community hospitals. The focused effects were 1) distribution and retention
of dentists; 2) hospital financial status; and 3) performance and productivity of dental workforce. Overview data was collected from many secondary sources such as dentist personnel database and payment
during 2005-2009; dentist mobilization from personnel management database (2008-2010); and dental
service outcome database in 2008 compared to 2010. Primary data included surveying hospital finance
during 2008-2010 using self-reported questionnaire to 725 hospitals and then interviewing a group of 7
senior inspectors in the Ministry of Public Health. The result was revealed that financial measure was
likely to have no impact on distribution pattern or retention of dentist workforce as the mobility found
was mainly from remote areas to rural areas with better social amenity. Regarding community hospital
financial status, paying hardship allowance showed no effect because a budget of 2,750 million baths was
subsidized by the government in 2010. Lastly, comparing performance outcome between 2008 and 2010, it
was found that oral health promotion activities by dental hygienists in 2010 was pushed up to 707 cases/
personnel per annual, while basic dental service performed by the dentist showed no difference in their
productivity.
