Half of CT Residents Report One or More Barriers To Accessing Oral Health Care
/A newly released public opinion survey in Connecticut has revealed a multi-faceted view of barriers residents face when it comes to accessing oral health care, and outlines policy recommendations aimed at reducing those barriers.
The Assessing Barriers to Achieving Good Oral Health for Connecticut Residents report is based on a survey study conducted in 2023-2024 by the Connecticut Oral Health Initiative (COHI). The report examines consumer oral health by exploring individual perspectives on barriers to treatment, maintenance of good oral hygiene, and the impact of the type of insurance on the achievement of good oral health across ethnic/racial and income groups.
The study utilized survey data from a widely representative sample (700+) of consumers of oral health care spread across 91 different communities throughout the State of Connecticut enrolled in Medicaid, private insurance, or with no insurance at the time of the survey.
Among the key findings:
22.5% of participants reported difficulty finding a dentist and 38.4% of participants said their last visit was longer than a year ago or didn't recall their last visit. Of those who had difficulty finding a dentist, a significantly higher percentage were enrolled in HUSKY Health (Medicaid)(53%) than those with private (38%) or no insurance (7.5%).
Over 50% of the participants reported one or more barriers to accessing oral health care with the most frequently mentioned barriers being fear of the dentist (21.6%), inconvenience of dental office hours (21.6%), and excessively long wait times for an appointment (18%).
Individuals enrolled in HUSKY Health (74%) or with no insurance (13%) reported more fear of seeing a dentist compared to those with private insurance (12%).
Only 44% of the participants considered their oral health to be good and conversely, about 56% considered it to be fair or poor. Individuals enrolled in HUSKY Health and those with no insurance considered their oral health to be worse than those with private insurance.
33% of participants reported brushing less than the recommended twice a day, and 43% of participants reported flossing less than the recommended once a day. Individuals enrolled in HUSKY Health brushed less frequently than those with private or no insurance.
There are inequities in the geographic, racial, and ethnic distribution of dental care that can partly be attributed to income levels, which are connected to the type of insurance. In this survey sample, those with higher incomes and those who were African American/Black had better oral health access and oral at-home hygiene behavior than lower-income Hispanics and Whites.
Recommendations for improving oral health literacy and personal oral health hygiene habits:
Good oral health needs to start at home with good oral hygiene and a healthy lifestyle, as well as the knowledge to utilize annual preventative care visits and seek restorative care when needed. The following recommendations are focused on improvements to enhance consumers' oral health literacy and personal hygiene habits.
Improve the cultural and linguistic competency through additional training of oral health providers and front office staff to assist in providing higher quality care to a more diverse patient base to better understand their cultural beliefs and practices, while emphasizing the importance of dental care as a priority in their health.
Developing improved messaging and more effective strategies for tailoring oral health literacy and at-home hygiene to different age, gender, and ethnic groups.
Expand the messengers of oral health care literacy by better integrating oral health into community health workers and medical care, such as primary care providers (PCPs) to conduct oral screenings, and provide education, and referrals to seek dental care.
The full COHI report can be seen here.
