Barriers and Motivations to Provide Dental Care to Adult Patients with Movement Disorders

Natalia S. Rozas, Hillary D. Strassner, June M. Sadowsky and Cameron B. Jeter
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Natalia S. Rozas: Department of Diagnostic and Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), 7500 Cambridge Street, Suite 5456, Houston, TX 77054, USA
Hillary D. Strassner: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), 7500 Cambridge Stree, Suite 5301, Houston, TX 77054, USA
June M. Sadowsky: Department of General Practice and Dental Public Health, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), 7500 Cambridge Street, Suite 5427, Houston, TX 77054, USA
Cameron B. Jeter: Department of Diagnostic and Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), 7500 Cambridge Street, Suite 5456, Houston, TX 77054, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 9, 1-10

Abstract: Patients with movement disorders, like Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases, tend to have poor oral health. Although contributing factors have been proposed, the willingness and ability of dentists to treat this patient population are still unknown. Our objective is to understand the current barriers and motivations of dentists to treat this patient population as a path to improved care and quality of life. A total of 176 dentists in Texas were surveyed through a structured questionnaire which contained both closed and open-ended questions. Nearly 30% of participants reported having no barriers to treating these patients and 26.7% reported that no such patients have visited their practice. Barriers reported included lack of education on the topic (17.6%) and longer appointments than average (14.8%). A main motivation to treat these patients was more training and education on the subject (38.6%). Poor oral health in patients with movement disorders may not be due to barriers encountered by dentists, but rather encountered by patients, such as access to and use of dental treatment. General dentists are willing to provide care for adult patients with movement disorders and continuing education for these providers is preferred over referral to a specialist.

Keywords: health services accessibility; movement disorders; dental care for aged; dentistry (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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