Dentistry and Craniofacial Research

Access to and utilization of dental care services among the Indian community in Hong Kong

EuroSciCon Conference on Dental & Dental Hygiene
March 26-27, 2018 Edinburgh, Scotland

Gayathri Balachandran

University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Den Craniofac Res

DOI: 10.21767/2576-392X-C1-003

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to describe the dental services utilization pattern of immigrant Indian adults in Hong Kong, their perceived barriers, and their satisfaction with the dental care services they had received. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire on a sample of immigrants. Indian adults who had been residing in Hong Kong for at least three years were recruited for this study. The questionnaire was completed either by study subjects on site or through an interview. The subjects were recruited from various religious, cultural, and social centers that served the Indian community. A total of 449 completed questionnaires were collected. Half of the survey subjects were aged 35 to 44 years and 49% were men. Their mean duration of residence in Hong Kong was 6.1 years. Slightly less than half (47%) of the subjects had visited a dentist in Hong Kong. The dental services they received were mostly curative treatments and preventive care was uncommon. Over 85% of the subjects who had visited a dentist in Hong Kong were satisfied with the various aspects of the service they had received, except the treatment cost. Most (58%) of the survey subjects had visited a dentist in India within three years prior to this survey. Among the subjects who had not visited a dentist in Hong Kong, the most commonly cited barriers which affected their dental visit were communication problem (87%) and high treatment cost (98%). The vast majority (87%) of the subjects thought that a special dental service for minor ethnic groups in Hong Kong was needed. It is concluded that immigrant Indian adults seek dental care services both in Hong Kong and in India. The main perceived barriers were communication problem and high treatment cost. In general, they were satisfied with dental services they received in Hong Kong. iyer_drgaya@yahoo.co.in