Accessibility of People with Visual Impairment To Dental Services: A Prospective, Observational, Mixed Method Study

Abstract

Objectives: This prospective, observational, mixed method study aims to assess patients with visual impairment general and oral health status, oral health-related quality of life, oral health knowledge, and adherence to recommended oral hygiene advice. Methods: Participants were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire at two sequential time points. At the day of recruitment (Time 1), participants were interviewed using questions from the adult dental health survey and the Arabic version of the oral health impact profile-14. At Time 2 (one-month post-dental education given at Time 1), participants were phoned after one month to assess their adherence to recommended oral hygiene instructions given at Time 1. The DMF Index was used to assess prevalence of dental caries. Results: The mean age of the participants was 21 years (SD = 2.98). Most participants (62.5%) had acute dental pain, brushed their teeth less than twice daily, and were not registered with dentists. Each person experienced a mean of six problems (median = 6) on oral health impact profile-14 and had an average of 7.1 (SD = 4.12) active caries. At Time 2, all participants had registered with a general dentist, and all brushed their teeth at least twice daily. Thematic analyses explored crucial barriers experienced by participants to access dental services. Conclusions: People with visual impairment reported poor oral health-related quality of life due to poor oral health status, oral health knowledge and education. Participants experienced long waiting lists for appointments in governmental dental hospitals, poor financial status to afford private dental care, and issues with accessibility to dental services due to transportation and caring issues.