Department of Dental Health, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
King Salman Center for Disability Research, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
BMC Oral Health. 2024 Aug 27;24(1):1002. doi: 10.1186/s12903-024-04767-9.
Children with disabilities experience poorer oral health and frequently have complex needs. The accessibility of oral health care services for children with disabilities is crucial for promoting oral health and overall well-being. This study aimed to systematically review the literature to identify the barriers and facilitators to oral health care services for children with disabilities, and to propose priority research areas for the planning and provision of dental services to meet their needs.
This was a mixed methods systematic review. Multiple databases searched included MEDLINE, Scopus, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and CINAHL. The search strategy included Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms related to children, disabilities, and access to oral health. Eligibility criteria focused on studies about children with disabilities, discussing the accessibility of oral health care.
Using Levesque's framework for access identified barriers such as professional unwillingness, fear of the dentist, cost of treatment, and inadequate dental facilities. Facilitators of access offered insight into strategies for improving access to oral health care for children with disabilities.
There is a positive benefit to using Levesque's framework of access or other established frameworks to carry out research on oral healthcare access, or implementations of dental public health interventions in order to identify gaps, enhance awareness and promote better oral health practices. The evidence suggests that including people with disabilities in co-developing service provision improves accessibility, alongside using tailored approaches and interventions which promote understanding of the importance of dental care and increases awareness for professionals, caregivers and children with disabilities.
Protocol has been registered online on the PROSPERO database with an ID CRD42023433172 on June 9, 2023.
残疾儿童的口腔健康状况较差，且通常存在复杂的需求。为促进残疾儿童的口腔健康和整体福祉，提供他们可及的口腔保健服务至关重要。本研究旨在通过系统综述文献，确定残疾儿童获得口腔保健服务的障碍和促进因素，并为规划和提供牙科服务以满足他们的需求提出优先研究领域。
本研究为混合方法系统综述。检索了多个数据库，包括 MEDLINE、Scopus、PsycINFO、EMBASE 和 CINAHL。检索策略包括与儿童、残疾和口腔健康可及性相关的医学主题词 (MeSH) 术语。纳入标准主要关注讨论口腔保健可及性的残疾儿童相关研究。
采用 Lévesque 的获取途径框架确定了一些障碍因素，如专业人员的不情愿、对牙医的恐惧、治疗费用和牙科设施不足。获取途径的促进因素为改善残疾儿童口腔保健获取途径提供了策略上的见解。
采用 Lévesque 的获取途径框架或其他既定框架开展口腔保健获取途径研究，或实施牙科公共卫生干预措施，以确定差距、提高认识并促进更好的口腔保健实践，具有积极意义。证据表明，让残疾人参与服务提供的共同制定可提高可及性，同时采用定制方法和干预措施，促进对牙科护理重要性的理解，并提高专业人员、照顾者和残疾儿童的认识。
本研究方案已于 2023 年 6 月 9 日在 PROSPERO 数据库上以注册号 CRD42023433172 进行了注册。
