Mind the Gap: Preliminary Insights Into Rural Australians' Experiences of Oral Health Care.

OBJECTIVE

Australians living in rural areas have a higher prevalence of dental caries and higher potentially preventable hospital admissions for oral health conditions compared to metropolitan-dwelling Australians. Despite high burdens of dental disease and a lack of systems supporting oral health, including water fluoridation and access to dental services, rural Australians have been given limited opportunities to participate in oral health research, resulting in gaps in our understanding. The objective of this study was to explore rural health consumer experiences of using and accessing oral health care services.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional online survey.

SETTING

Rural and remote Australia (MM2-MM7).

PARTICIPANTS

Members of the Rural Health Consumer Panel aged over 18 years.

RESULTS

One hundred and thirty-nine Rural Health Consumer Panel members responded to the survey. Key sociodemographic characteristics included a median age of 61 years, predominantly female (74.5%) and highly educated (73% holding tertiary qualifications). The majority of those visiting an oral health professional in the past 12 months reported visiting a dentist (47.5%). Over a third (38%) of respondents did not visit any oral health professional in the past 12 months. Private health insurance coverage was associated with more regular dental and oral health check-ups. Key challenges in accessing oral health care included cost, wait times for an appointment, and distance travelled to receive care.

CONCLUSION

Rural people in this study face barriers in accessing oral health care, contributing to low rates of preventative dental and oral health visits. The difficulty in accessing oral health services and lower rates of private health insurance in rural areas further exacerbate these inequities. Further research is required to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of rural people in relation to accessing oral health services and involving rural people in developing place-based solutions across communities.