Browsing by Author "Valentine, Terence Albert"
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- ItemClosing the gap : exploring edentulism through Norman Daniels’ approach to health and healthcare(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2015-12) Valentine, Terence Albert; Hall, Susan; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept of Philosophy.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Statistics from the Western Cape Department of Oral and Dental Health Services show an alarming decrease in the construction of dentures by dentists working at state health facilities. In addition, statistical evidence shows that the most common treatment modality used by dentists in the public sector is extraction, the result of which is a growing sector of society presenting with partial or full edentulism. Edentulism is a condition characterised by partial or complete loss of natural teeth. The aim of this thesis is to explore edentulism as a healthcare need in the light of Norman Daniels’ approach to health and just healthcare provision. Daniels argues that healthcare is morally important because of the role that it plays in ensuring fair equality of opportunity. This thesis will argue that for individuals whose dependence is solely on the public healthcare system, edentulism can restrict opportunity. A requirement of justice would therefore require that denture or other appropriate prosthesis construction be incorporated into macro level healthcare design so that it would serve to protect and maintain opportunity in order for individuals to realise their life plans relative to others in their society. Where resource constraints make this difficult, Daniels’ “Accountability for Reasonableness” approach can be applied to ensure that procedural justice is maintained in making fair decisions around rationing.