Changing Barriers to Dental Care Among Young Adults

Objectives:The aim of the study was to investigate barriers to dental care among Polish 18-year-olds between 1998-2004. Methods: Participants were selected for a questionnaire survey by stratified random sampling, and included 852 persons in 1998, 948 in 2001 and 3051 in 2004. The questionnaire investigated characteristics of the last dental visit and barriers to dental care. Results: The response rate was 96.6% in 1998, 99.7% in 2001 and 98.2% in 2004. Between 1998 and 2004, the percentage of respondents visiting a dentist annually fell from 67% to 65%, while the discrepancy between urban and rural areas decreased. The percentage of those attending a public dental clinic decreased from 53% to 43%, while those attending a private office increased. An increasing proportion of respondents reported waiting a long time for an appointment (18% in 1998, 25% in 2004), although a decreasing proportion reported that getting to a dentist took up a lot of time (26% in 1998, 12% in 2004). One third admitted being afraid of the visit. The proportion postponing dental visits in spite of perceived treatment needs decreased from 48% in 1998 to 43% in 2004. During this period, there was a marked decrease in the proportion of those postponing visits due to an inability to afford private treatment combined with long waits for an appointment at public clinics (from 33% to 16%), perceived lack of availability of the necessary treatment at public clinics (from 23% to 8%), fear of pain (from 72% to 29%), thinking that problems with the teeth would go away (from 16% to 8%). Conclusion: Results show a decrease in the percentage of young adults postponing dental treatment, particularly for reasons connected with low dental awareness.