Identifying the Barriers to Dental Care in a Cohort of Employees of an Educational Complex in a Metropolitan City of India: A Cross-sectional Survey
Abstract
Background: Patient-centered care has been identified as a marker for the utilization of healthcare services. Utilization of dental services has a direct effect on dental health outcomes. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 263 educational complex employees. The custom-made questionnaire addressing the barriers to dental care utilization was validated by subject experts and used for the purpose of the study. The questionnaire, consisting of 21 items, was made in English and one local language. The questionnaire consisted of two sections: demographic details of participants and potential barriers to dental care utilization for the particular cohort. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, and multinomial logistic regression to assess factors influencing dental care utilization. Pearson’s correlation was applied to evaluate the relationship between willingness to spend and frequency of dental visits. Results: Participants identified “dental visits are too many” and “lack of time” as the most common reasons for not visiting a dentist in the past 6 months. Individuals preferring private clinics had higher odds of receiving regular dental care (odds ratio = 5.46, P = 0.030) as compared to those preferring a charitable trust or a dental clinic hospital. Willingness to spend on dental treatment had a positive correlation with socioeconomic status scores (Pearson’s correlation coefficient = 0.16, P = 0.015). Conclusion: Time constraints, numerous visits required for dental care, and financial investment were the barriers identified in our study. Knowledge and attitude of the population need to be influenced both in public dental health settings and in dental clinics to influence patients’ behavior in seeking regular dental advice, as well as developing correct expectations of the dynamics and success of a dental treatment procedure.
Related
- Assessing adherence and identifying barriers to breast cancer screening among females in the central region (Riyadh) of Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study
- Epilepsy in children and young people as a stigma throughout history: identifying cultural, religious and educational factors to design strategies for contemporary social inclusion
- Intersectional Barriers to and Facilitators of Educational Inclusion for Persons With Disabilities in Low‐ and Middle‐Income Countries: A Systematic Literature Review
- Journey to immunization service: identifying barriers and enablers to routine immunization service uptake among communities residing in urban slum areas of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2023
- Residential relocation, neighborhood walkability, and changes in walking activities in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area: a cross-sectional study
BibTeX
@article{more2026identifying,
title = {{Identifying the Barriers to Dental Care in a Cohort of Employees of an Educational Complex in a Metropolitan City of India: A Cross-sectional Survey}},
author = {Saudamini Girish More and Sreenivasan Venkatraman and Lalitha Pranathi Pulavarthy and Shazia Khan},
journal = {Journal of Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.4103/jiaphd.jiaphd_58_26},
url = {https://doi.org/10.4103/jiaphd.jiaphd_58_26},
note = {CC BY-NC-SA},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Identifying the Barriers to Dental Care in a Cohort of Employees of an Educational Complex in a Metropolitan City of India: A Cross-sectional Survey
AU - Saudamini Girish More
AU - Sreenivasan Venkatraman
AU - Lalitha Pranathi Pulavarthy
AU - Shazia Khan
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - Journal of Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry
DO - 10.4103/jiaphd.jiaphd_58_26
UR - https://doi.org/10.4103/jiaphd.jiaphd_58_26
AB - Background: Patient-centered care has been identified as a marker for the utilization of healthcare services. Utilization of dental services has a direct effect on dental health outcomes. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 263 educational complex employees. The custom-made questionnaire addressing the barriers to dental care utilization was validated by subject experts and used for the purpose of the study. The questionnaire, consisting of 21 items, was made in English and one local language. The questionnaire consisted of two sections: demographic details of participants and potential barriers to dental care utilization for the particular cohort. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, and multinomial logistic regression to assess factors influencing dental care utilization. Pearson’s correlation was applied to evaluate the relationship between willingness to spend and frequency of dental visits. Results: Participants identified “dental visits are too many” and “lack of time” as the most common reasons for not visiting a dentist in the past 6 months. Individuals preferring private clinics had higher odds of receiving regular dental care (odds ratio = 5.46, P = 0.030) as compared to those preferring a charitable trust or a dental clinic hospital. Willingness to spend on dental treatment had a positive correlation with socioeconomic status scores (Pearson’s correlation coefficient = 0.16, P = 0.015). Conclusion: Time constraints, numerous visits required for dental care, and financial investment were the barriers identified in our study. Knowledge and attitude of the population need to be influenced both in public dental health settings and in dental clinics to influence patients’ behavior in seeking regular dental advice, as well as developing correct expectations of the dynamics and success of a dental treatment procedure.
SN - 2319-5932
SN - 2350-0484
ER -