scholarly journals Orofacial Pain: Patient Satisfaction and Delay of Urgent Care

2005 ◽  
Vol 120 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph L. Riley ◽  
Gregg H. Gilbert ◽  
Marc W. Heft

Objective. Accomplishing the Healthy People 2010 goal of eliminating disparities in oral disease will require a better understanding of the patterns of health care associated with orofacial pain. This study examined factors associated with pain-related acute oral health care. Methods. The authors used data on 698 participants in the Florida Dental Care Study, a study of oral health among dentate adults aged 45 years and older at baseline. Results. Fifteen percent of the respondents reported having had at least one dental visit as the result of orofacial pain. The majority of the respondents reportedly delayed contacting a dentist for at least one day; however, there was no difference between respondents reporting pain as the initiating symptom and those with other problems. Once respondents decided that dental services were needed, those with a painful symptom were nearly twice as likely as those without pain to want to be seen immediately. Rural adults were more likely than urban adults to report having received urgent dental care for a painful symptom. When orofacial pain occurred, those who identified as non-Hispanic African American were more likely than those who identified as non-Hispanic white to delay care rather than to seek treatment immediately, and women were more likely then men. Having a pain-related oral problem was associated with significantly less satisfaction with the services provided; non-Hispanic African American respondents were less likely than non-Hispanic white respondents to report being very satisfied, and rural residents were less likely than urban residents. Furthermore, men were more likely than women to suffer with orofacial pain without receiving either scheduled dental care or an urgent visit. Conclusions. Barriers to care are complex and likely to be interactive, but must be understood before the goals of Healthy People 2010 can be accomplished.

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  

Abstract Oral health is a central element of general health with significant impact in terms of pain, suffering, impairment of function and reduced quality of life. Although most oral disease can be prevented by health promotion strategies and routine access to primary oral health care, the GBD study 2017 estimated that oral diseases affect over 3.5 billion people worldwide (Watt et al, 2019). Given the importance of oral health and its potential contribution to achieving universal health coverage (UHC), it has received increased attention in public health debates in recent years. However, little is known about the large variations across countries in terms of service delivery, coverage and financing of oral health. There is a lack of international comparison and understanding of who delivers oral health services, how much is devoted to oral health care and who funds the costs for which type of treatment (Eaton et al., 2019). Yet, these aspects are central for understanding the scope for improvement regarding financial protection against costs of dental care and equal access to services in each country. This workshop aims to present the comparative research on dental care coverage in Europe, North America and Australia led by the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. Three presentations will look at dental care coverage using different methods and approaches. They will compare how well the population is covered for dental care especially within Europe and North America considering the health systems design and expenditure level on dental care, using the WHO coverage cube as analytical framework. The first presentation shows results of a cross-country Health Systems in Transition (HiT) review on dental care. It provides a comparative review and analysis of financing, coverage and access in 31 European countries, describing the main trends also in the provision of dental care. The second presentation compares dental care coverage in eight jurisdictions (Australia (New South Wales), Canada (Alberta), England, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and the United States) with a particular focus on older adults. The third presentation uses a vignette approach to map the extent of coverage of dental services offered by statutory systems (social insurance, compulsory insurance, NHS) in selected countries in Europe and North America. This workshop provides the opportunity of a focussed discussion on coverage of dental care, which is often neglected in the discussion on access to health services and universal health coverage. The objectives of the workshop are to discuss the oral health systems in an international comparative setting and to draw lessons on best practices and coverage design. The World Conference on Public Health is hence a good opportunity for this workshop that contributes to frame the discussion on oral health systems in a global perspective. Key messages There is large degree of variation in the extent to which the costs of dental care are covered by the statutory systems worldwide with implications for oral health outcomes and financial protection. There is a need for a more systematic collection of oral health indicators to make analysis of reliable and comparable oral health data possible.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 3-8
Author(s):  
Mufeedha K Nazar ◽  
Divya Reddy C ◽  
Santhosh T Paul

INTRODUCTION: Despite advances in dental care in recent decades, the oral health of people with disabilities remains poor. The treatment of children with special health care needs (CSHCN) presents challenges for the dentists that may ultimately become a barrier. Identification of barriers can be the first step in addressing the deficiencies in dental care for such patients. AIM: To identify barriers to oral/dental care for CSHCN as perceived by dentists Materials and Methods: 110 randomly selected dental professionals were interviewed through a validated questionnaire for their perceived barriers to provide oral health care for CSHCN RESULTS: Majority of respondents attended CSHCN (77.3%) and mostly provided restorations, oral hygiene instructions including preventive measures and basic restorative care. Dentists perceived concern regarding medical history (50%) and patient co-operation (38%) as the main barriers to provide dental care to CSHCN. CONCLUSION: Our findings conclude that majority of dentists are willing to treat CSHCN despite the challenges they faced. Minimizing the barriers is essential to provide comprehensive dental care to CSHCN.


2006 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 168-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joy L. Anderson

The goals of Healthy People 2010 are to increase the quality of life and life expectancy, and eliminate health disparities. There is no clear picture, however, if these goals are being addressed by African American adolescents. This study was conducted to evaluate health status of African American adolescents aged 13-19 in Florida’s Big Bend Region. Healthy People 2010 objectives were consulted for the evaluation. Responses from a convenience sample of 35 participants (63% female, 34% male) who completed a survey comprised of questions based on Likert scale are summarized here. The results show that the African American adolescents are engaging in some physical activity; however, only about half of them reported maintaining a healthy body weight. The majority of the adolescents reported avoiding smoking, but fewer adolescents reported avoiding drinking alcohol. Only a small percentage of the adolescents reported that their friends carried a gun or knife to school within the last 30 days; the percentage increased when the adolescents were asked if their friends got into a fist fight within the last 30 days. The adolescents sampled in this study have only achieved the Healthy People 2010 objectives in one of the health concern areas examined herein. It is also important to note that there are substantial gender-based disparities. In order to meet all Healthy People 2010 objectives, health education and promotion must be increased. Future research should explore different aspects of health status of adolescents in general, and further examine gender disparities and contributing factors.


Author(s):  
Davis AL ◽  
◽  
Zare H ◽  
Kanwar O ◽  
McCleary R ◽  
...  

Objective: The authors conducted an integrative literature review of recent studies that explored the impact of interventions implemented in the U.S. that focused on improving access to dental care for low-income and vulnerable populations. Methods: The authors conducted an integrative literature review of studies published between 2012-2018 that addressed six oral health policy spheres. 1) Community-based dental access programs; (2) Medicaid reimbursement and expansion; (3) Student loan support; (4) Oral health services in non-traditional settings and dental residency programs; (5) Programs to improve oral health literacy; and (6) Use of dental therapists. Results: The authors included 39 articles for qualitative synthesis. Numerous public health initiatives and programs exist in the US aimed at increasing access to quality oral health care. Medicaid expansion, increased Medicaid fee-for-service reimbursement rates, and state loan repayment programs have demonstrated some success in improving access among underserved populations. A diversified dental workforce, with community dental health workers and mid-level providers like dental therapists, as well as interprofessional training of nurses and primary-care physicians in oral health have also shown positive impacts in advancing health equity. Further studies are needed to understand how oral health literacy programs can affect access and utilization of dental services. Conclusions: Improvements to the oral health care safety net will require a holistic and multifaceted approach in order to reduce oral health disparities. Policy levers should work, not in isolation, but rather in complementary fashion to one another.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariana C. Kong ◽  
Mariana S. Sousa ◽  
Lucie Ramjan ◽  
Michelle Dickson ◽  
Joanne Goulding ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In Australia, models of care have been developed to train antenatal care providers to promote oral health among pregnant women. However, these models are underpinned by Western values of maternity care that do not consider the cultural needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. This study aimed to explore the perceptions and experiences of Aboriginal health staff towards oral health care during pregnancy. It is part of a larger program of research to develop a new, culturally safe model of oral health care for Aboriginal women during pregnancy. Methods A descriptive qualitative methodology informed the study. Focus groups were convened to yarn with Aboriginal Health Workers, Family Partnership Workers and Aboriginal management staff at two antenatal health services in Sydney, Australia. Results A total of 14 people participated in the focus groups. There were four themes that were constructed. These focused on Aboriginal Health Workers and Family Partnership Workers identifying their role in promoting maternal oral health, where adequate training is provided and where trust has been developed with clients. Yet, because the Aboriginal health staff work in a system fundamentally driven by the legacy of colonisation, it has significantly contributed to the systemic barriers Aboriginal pregnant women continue to face in accessing health services, including dental care. The participants recommended that a priority dental referral pathway, that supported continuity of care, could provide increased accessibility to dental care. Conclusions The Aboriginal health staff identified the potential role of Aboriginal Health Workers and Family Partnership Workers promoting oral health among Aboriginal pregnant women. To develop an effective oral health model of care among Aboriginal women during pregnancy, there is the need for training of Aboriginal Health Workers and Family Partnership Workers in oral health. Including Aboriginal staff at every stage of a dental referral pathway could reduce the fear of accessing mainstream health institutions and also promote continuity of care. Although broader oral health policies still need to be changed, this model could mitigate some of the barriers between Aboriginal women and both dental care providers and healthcare systems.


2008 ◽  
Vol 90 (5) ◽  
pp. 155-155
Author(s):  
Ken Eaton

As in other areas of health care the NHS has shaped many of the changes that have occurred in dentistry during the last 60 years. Many of the advances in technology and treatment would have occurred whether there was an NHS or not as they have been heavily influenced by global advances. However, judging by countries of similar wealth but with little publicly funded dentistry the improvement in oral health since 1948 would probably not have been as significant without the NHS and many of the developments in dental education and the increasing emphasis on team dentistry may not have evolved.


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