Barriers in utilization of dental service among people in Nalgonda district, Telangana

Regular home care and yearly dental check-ups are essential for maintaining oral health. However, dental service use remains limited, often only sought during pain/emergency. This study aimed to explore whether this underutilization is due to individual perception or lack of service availability.

A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among 280 individuals selected using multistage sampling. A self-structured, pre-tested, closed-ended questionnaire, comprising 25 questions was self-administered. The data was analysed using SPSS v.22 and Chi-square test was applied to assess significant associations between variables.

The most commonly cited reason for not utilising dental services (73.2%) was the belief that dental care is unnecessary unless there is pain. Fear/anxiety was a significant barrier, especially among females (p = 0.004). Significant associations were observed between age groups and understanding of the dentist's explanation (p = 0.04), and in the type of treatment undergone (p = 0.01).

This study explores how structural and social determinants like lack of awareness, geographic accessibility and economic constraints serve as barriers to dental service utilization in rural Telangana, reflecting broader patterns of health inequity in underserved population.

The study highlights the continued low perceived need for preventive dental care in rural populations, reinforced by misconceptions that dental issues are only necessary when painful. It emphasizes the importance of community-based interventions such as mobile dental clinics, dental camps and outreach programs to increase awareness, reduce fear and improve utilization of dental services.