Barriers to Dental Services Utilization among Adult Population in India: A Scoping Review

Objective: To provide comprehensive information about barriers to using dental services in India. Material and Methods: Original research articles published on factors and(or) barriers to dental and oral health care services utilization were extracted from four electronic databases such as Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE. The selection process involved looking for English-language articles published between 2005 and 2023 that addressed one or more areas of dental and oral health care barriers in India. Selected articles were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: 188 original studies were retrieved from the four databases, and 23 were extracted. The barriers to dental and oral health care service utilization were classified into three major themes: sociodemographic factors, dental care access, and individual factors. The findings of the selected articles showed that the high cost of dental care, educational level, fear of dental treatment, poor perception about teeth, and(or) lack of felt need and lack of time were the most frequently reported barriers. Conclusion: Appropriate utilization of dental and oral health care services was one of the key principles in achieving "Health for All."Dental care delivery systems should address the barriers to its utilization by incorporating policies to overcome the utilization barriers and community-based oral health awareness programs.