Assessing Oral Health Status, Practices, and Access to Care among War-Affected Refugees Living in San Antonio, Texas

Abstract

Objectives Refugees encounter several health disparities including oral health problems.This study evaluated the self-reported oral health status, practices, and access to care of adult refugees living in San Antonio, Texas, United States. Materials and Methods Adult refugees (n = 207) who accessed services from two centers in San Antonio, completed this survey. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the relationship of the refugees’ demographics with oral health status, practices, and access to care. Results Oral pain in the previous 12 months was common among refugees having been reported by almost 58.9% of the survey participants; 43% reported pain as the reason for their last dental visit. Approximately half of the participants reported both the condition to their teeth and gums as being good: 42.5 and 54.6%, respectively. Most participants (84%) reported brushing their teeth one or two times a day, and around 78% reported they never smoked. Fifty-two percent reported needing dental care in the past 12 months, but not being able to receive it; while 45.9% reported not having dental insurance, 41.5% reported not having money to pay a dentist. Fifteen percent reported never visiting a dentist. Arabic speakers, moving to the United States more recently, and lower level of education were associated with a poor oral health status and practices (p < 0.05). Conclusion Refugees in this study encountered limited access to dental care. Their inability to seek dental care could affect their oral and general health, weaken efforts of preventing oral health diseases, and restrict their full inclusion into the community.

Oral Pathologies in Migrants: The Experience of the “PROTECT” Project in 3023 Patients

“…The study by Salim et al [24] reported that pain was the most commonly presented disorder in 444 patients, stating that more than half of the dental treatments carried out were extractions, 74.1% of which were due to caries. Similarly, pain was a common symptom reported by participants in the research of Saadeh et al [25], and more than half of the participants reported needing dental care, but not being able to receive it given their low socioeconomic status. Research by Zinah et al [26] shows that periodontal disease and dental caries are the most frequently assessed study conditions.…”

Exploring refugees' experience of accessing dental health services in host countries: a scoping review

“…Half of the studies were qualitative ( 9 , 18 , 20 , 29 , 31 , 35 ) with two interviews with refugees ( 9 , 20 ) and one being an ethnographic study ( 31 ). Two cross sectional studies ( 32 , 34 ) and two scoping review studies ( 13 , 16 ), one systematic review ( 33 ) and one documentary analysis were also included ( 19 ). Most of the studies based were conducted in Australia ( n = 4) ( 18 , 19 , 29 , 36 ) followed by the United States ( n = 2) ( 32 , 34 ) and Canada ( n = 2) ( 20 , 31 ).…”

“…Affordability significantly impacts the experiences of refugees accessing dental health services, as they often encounter challenges due to the high cost of treatments, transportation expenses, and limited financial resources ( 9 , 16 , 18 , 20 , 29 , 31 , 33 , 34 , 36 ).…”

“…Lack of dental insurance is one of the major barriers faced by refugees when accessing dental health services in their host countries ( 16 , 34 ). The high cost of dental treatment and travel expenses to access the dental clinic are some of the most common obstacles faced by refugees ( 9 , 16 , 18 , 20 , 29 , 31 , 33 , 34 , 36 ).…”

“…Lack of dental insurance is one of the major barriers faced by refugees when accessing dental health services in their host countries ( 16 , 34 ). The high cost of dental treatment and travel expenses to access the dental clinic are some of the most common obstacles faced by refugees ( 9 , 16 , 18 , 20 , 29 , 31 , 33 , 34 , 36 ). In addition to the high treatment related cost, the low income of the refugees serves as other impediments to accessing dental health services and has also prevented some of them from completing the dental treatment ( 20 ).…”