Access to dental public services by disabled persons

Area of Science:

• Oral health
• Public health
• Disability studies

Background:

• Globally, a significant portion of people with disabilities lack access to oral dental care.
• Brazil's constitution guarantees healthcare for all, including disabled individuals, via the National Health Care System (Sistema Único de Saúde--SUS).
• Limited data exists on the actual accessibility of public dental services for persons with disabilities in Brazil.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accessibility of public dental services for persons with disabilities in Fortaleza, Ceará.
• To identify geographical, architectural, and organizational barriers impacting dental care access.
• To assess communication challenges and factors influencing service utilization among individuals with motor, visual, and hearing impairments.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted.
• Structured questionnaires were administered to 89 dentists and 204 people with disabilities.
• Evaluated facility accessibility, professional-patient communication, service demand, and utilization factors.

Main Results:

• Many people with disabilities do not perceive dental services as a priority and often seek care only on an emergency basis.
• Dentists reported significant communication difficulties with deaf patients and a strong desire for interpreters.
• Both patients and dentists reported inadequate physical infrastructure, though patients rated accessibility higher than dentists.

Conclusions:

• Despite increased dental service availability in Fortaleza, significant accessibility barriers remain for people with disabilities.
• Cultural, organizational, architectural, geographical, and communication challenges hinder the demand for and use of oral healthcare services by this population.
• Addressing these multifaceted barriers is crucial to improving oral health outcomes for individuals with disabilities.