Barriers to oral health care for persons with disabilities: An overview of systematic reviews

Abstract

Background: Nearly one billion individuals globally live with disabilities, facing greater risk of dental issues. Systematic reviews have identified barriers to oral health care for persons with disabilities (PWDs), but a comprehensive synthesis to inform health-policy guidelines is lacking. This overview addresses this gap by summarizing the key barriers to oral health care access for PWDs. Objectives: (1) summarize key findings on the barriers PWDs encounter in seeking dental and oral healthcare, (2) evaluate the influence of disabilities on accessibility to dental and oral health services, and (3) identify facilitators to improve access and inform future health policy. Methods: Systematic review of systematic reviews of both cross-sectional and evaluative studies that identified barriers to oral health care access for PWDs. A comprehensive search of databases was conducted from inception to 24 February 2024, using specific keywords and Boolean operators. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed using AMSTAR 2 to ensure transparency and reliability. Results: Five systematic reviews were included. These reviews highlighted financial constraints, provider reluctance, access difficulties, systemic barriers, and patient-related factors as major obstacles. Methodological variations across reviews were noted, affecting the transparency and reliability of findings. Conclusion: Barriers to oral health care access for PWDs include financial, provider-related, access-related, systemic, and patient-related factors. Addressing these barriers, particularly in developing countries, should be a priority for future research and interventions.