Utilization of dental services and encountered barriers among rural population of Rewari district

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the level of utilization of dental services and barriers to utilization of oral health services among rural population of Rewari district, Haryana. Materials and Methods: A descriptive and cross-sectional survey was conducted among 150 participants in Rewari District. Oral health was assessed using 28-item and 22-item self-administered, closed ended, and structured questionnaires for adults and children, respectively based on oral health assessment proforma by the World Health Organization. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the results. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed using questions related to the last dental visit as dependent variables. Results: A total of 150 subjects participated in this questionnaire study. Utilization of dental services was limited to emergency and curative procedures. Only 34% of children and 19% of adults had visited the dentist in the past 1 year. Whereas, 30% of children and 34% of adults had never received dental services. The most commonly reported reasons for the last visit to dentist in 48.5% of children and 51.5% of adults is the pain or trouble with teeth, gums or mouth, followed by routine check-ups in 25.7% and 31.8% in children and adults, respectively, and results were found to be highly significant (P = 0.011). Conclusion: Majority of population assumes that visiting the dentist is simply for pain treatment. People were unaware of their dental problems and the number of self-reported dental issues was low.