Barriers to access dental care services among adult population: A systematic review

Abstract

Objective: This systematic review was done with the aim of assessing the barriers faced in utilizing dental care services by general population in age group between 20 and 60 years in India as these findings would provide evidence for making appropriate decisions in our National Oral Health Policy which could further improve access to dental care services for people across India. This was a systematic review. Materials and Methods: For this review, PubMed, TRIP database, Cochrane, and Google Scholar were the electronic databases searched based on the PICO. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta- Analyses guidelines were followed for the final inclusion of articles. Results: The search generated a total of 91 articles from four different electronic bases: PubMed, TRIP database, Cochrane, and Google Scholar. Based on the inclusion criteria, 14 articles made it to the final analysis. All 14 studies reported a lack of time and nonavailability of dentists as major barriers in accessing dental care services. Conclusion: The cross-sectional studies of this review were assessed for quality using a modified Newcastle- Ottawa Scale, proposed by Egger et al. in 2003. Even though the available literature forms a lower standard of evidence, further evaluation of barriers using a standardized questionnaire is recommended using better-designed studies to substantiate the unequal access to health-care facilities to Indian Population.