Evidence summary: why is access to dental care for frail elderly people worse than for other groups?

In August 2009, members of the newly redeveloped Primary Care Dentistry Research Forum (http://www.dentistryresearch.org) took part in an online vote to identify questions in day-to-day practice that they felt most needed to be answered with conclusive research. The question which received the most votes formed the subject of a critical appraisal of the relevant literature. Each month a new round of voting will take place to decide which further questions will be reviewed. Dental practitioners and dental care professionals are encouraged to take part in the voting and submit their own questions to be included in the vote by joining the website.This paper details a summary of the findings of the first critical appraisal. In conclusion, the critical appraisal has identified that primary research is needed to look at the subject of access to dental care for frail elderly people. Similar barriers to accessing care for this group of people are still being reported today as they were 20 years ago.