RESUMO
Although ability to pay is associated with dental care utilization, provision of public or private dental insurance has not eliminated dental care disparities between African American and White adults. We examined insurance-related barriers to dental care in interviews with a street-intercept sample of 118 African American adults in Harlem, New York City, with recent oral health symptoms. Although most participants reported having dental insurance (21% private, 50% Medicaid), reported barriers included (1) lack of coverage, (2) insufficient coverage, (3) inability to find a dentist who accepts their insurance, (4) having to wait for coverage to take effect, and (5) perceived poor quality of care for the uninsured or underinsured. These findings provide insights into why disparities persist and suggest strategies to removing these barriers to dental care.
Assuntos
Negro ou Afro-Americano , Assistência Odontológica/estatística & dados numéricos , Acessibilidade aos Serviços de Saúde , Seguro Odontológico , Adolescente , Adulto , Assistência Odontológica/economia , Honorários Odontológicos , Feminino , Disparidades em Assistência à Saúde , Humanos , Masculino , Medicaid , Pessoas sem Cobertura de Seguro de Saúde , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Cidade de Nova Iorque , Doenças Periodontais/economia , Doenças Periodontais/terapia , Doenças Dentárias/economia , Doenças Dentárias/terapia , Estados Unidos , Adulto JovemRESUMO
To examine the types of dental fear experienced by African American adults and the role of these fears in the utilization of dental care, in-depth interviews were conducted with a street-intercept sample of 118 African Americans living in Harlem, New York City, who had experienced at least one oral health symptom in the past six months. Despite their oral symptoms, participants delayed or avoided dental care (often for years) due to a variety of dental fears, including fears of: 1) pain from needles; 2) the dental drill; 3) having teeth extracted; 4) contracting an illness (e.g., HIV/AIDS) from unsanitary instruments; 5) X-rays; 6) receiving poor quality care or mistreatment. These findings provide insights into the situations that provoke fears about dental treatment among African Americans and suggest strategies to address these fears in order to remove these barriers and increase the utilization of dental care by African American adults.