20
|
Volume2 Issue8
I
ssues and
P
eople
perspectiveswill provideamorecomprehensive
overview thatmay shed light onpsychosocial factors
not easilycapturedbyquantitative surveys. The low
utilizationof dental servicesby low-income families
maybe the result of thecaredelivery system rather
than theparents’ decision toavoidcare for their
children. The limited informationcurrentlyavailable
on thepsychosocial barrierspreventingparents from
seekingcare for their youngchildren—including
theparents’ perceptionsof dental problems and
their decision-makingabout the “right time” to seek
professional care—indicates that further exploratory
research iswarranted.
Whatare the implications fordentistsand
dentalpractices?
The impact of publicly fundedhealth services
hasbeen less thanexpecteddue to factors such
as availability, enrollment, acceptance, amount
of coverage, andpatternsof useof dental care
among less affluent groups. Insufficient coverage
wasbrought upby theusers andevennon-users
of dental services as acommonbarrier toaccess to
care. However, it seemed toaffect older childrenand
adults ina lesser extent. This studyhighlights the
importanceof themost commonly reportedbarrier,
“noperceivedneed.”
CDAencourages earlyassessment of infants (within
6monthsof first tootheruptionor by1year of age).
Yet our reports revealed that childrenaged4yearsor
younger are less likely to receiveanydental services,
includingdental examinations. The importanceof an
earlydental examinationandpreventivemeasures,
bothhome- andoffice-based,must beemphasized
withyoung families andexpectant parentsby the
dental andmedical professionals at the frontlineof
healthcare for youngchildren.
What’sone takeawaymessage foryour
colleagues?
Althoughdental insurancecoverage seems to
enhanceaccess, the frequencyof dental careusage
ingeneral, andpreventive services inparticular, for
youngchildren isgreatly influencedby theparents’
oral healthperceptions and their attitudes toward
prevention. It is therefore thedental professionals’
responsibility toeducateparents about thevalueof
primary teethand the important role that preventive
practices—includingproper diet, oral hygiene, and
regular dental attendance—play in theoverallwell-
beingof their children for a lifetime.
a
Table1.
Problems andbarriers experiencedby survey respondentswith
at least 1child ingainingaccess todental services coveredbyAlberta
healthbenefit programs.*
Obstacle/Barrier
No. (%)ofrespondents
(
n
=423)
None
199 (47.0)
Theplandidnot cover allmydental needs
190 (44.9)
Couldnotfindadentist/Dentistwouldnot
accept myhealthbenefit card
33 (7.8)
Littleknowledgeof the coverage
31 (7.3)
Lackof child care toget todental appointment
8 (1.9)
Languagebarrier
7 (1.7)
Lackof transportation, distance to thedental office
6 (1.4)
Other
10 (2.4)
*Respondentswereabletochoosemorethan1response.
Figure1:
Reasonsgivenby respondentswithchildrenwhodidnot use
dental services coveredbyAlbertahealthbenefit programs in theyear
before the survey (
n
=174).
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Others
Fearof
dental services
Insu cient
coverage
Didnot know
about the
dental coverage
No
perceived
need
50.7%
35.1%
38.5%
14.4%
15.5%
Respondents%
Reference
1.AminMS.Utilizationofdentalservicesbychildren in low-income families inAlberta.JCan
DentAssoc.2011;77:b57.
Want to learnmore
about this study?
Read the full articleat
jcda.ca/article/e51
MoreOnline
