Access to dental care among adults with physical and intellectual disabilities: residence factors

Abstract

Background: There is limited information about access and barriers to dental care among adults with disabilities. Methods: A mailed questionnaire survey of carers of 18-44-year-old South Australians with physical and intellectual disabilities (care recipients; n = 485) in family homes, community housing and institutions. Bivariate associations were tested using chi-square tests. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95 per cent confidence intervals (CI) were estimated for irregular dental visits (IDV). Results: Carers from family homes and community housing were more likely to report problems in obtaining dental care than those at institutions (p < 0.001). Lack of dentists with adequate skills in special needs dentistry (SND) was the most frequently reported problem for carers from family homes and community housing. IDV were less likely (p < 0.01) for care recipients in institutions and community housing than in family homes. After adjusting for care recipients' age, gender and disability, odds of IDV was lower in community housing (OR = 0.2, 95% CI = 0.1, 0.3) and in institutions (OR = 0.1, 95% CI = 0.04, 0.3) relative to family homes. Conclusions: Care recipients in institutions and community housing had better access to dental care than those at family homes. The shortage of dentists in SND and treatment costs needs to be addressed.

Dental care among young adults with intellectual disability

“…We determined that among young adults with ID, males were at a significant risk of not visiting a dentist. Other studies among children with ID aged ≤18 years or younger (Macek, Edelstein, & Manski, 2001) and youth and adults with ID aged 18-44 years (Pradhan, Slade, & Spencer, 2009) did not find an association between sex and dental care visits. A racial/ethnic disparity in reported dental care visits was noted in the unadjusted analysis of our study, but did not remain significant after adjusting for other cofactors.…”

Is Cognitive Status Related to Oral Hygiene Level and Appropriate for Determining Need for Oral Hygiene Assistance?

“…Oral healthcare education programs for residential home nurses and inhabitants appear to be effective in improving the oral hygiene condition in institutionalized patients [27][28][29] . Upon improvement of the oral hygiene standard, it might then become possible to demonstrate a statistical correlation between the degree of cognitive impairment and the tooth or denture hygiene indices.…”

Barriers to dental care access for patients with special needs in an affluent metropolitan community

“…Education of the general dentist is necessary as well to increase access. Currently, dental school education has inadequate training for special care dentistry and reflects on the confidence of general dentists to treat these individuals . The Commission on Dental Accreditation states in its latest standards that in order to graduate dental students must be competent in the “assessment” but it fails to recognize the ability to provide “treatment” of special needs patients .…”