Migrant communities have an unequal access to dental treatment, sparking calls for better integration of healthcare.
Published in BMC Public Health, the study looked at access to dentistry among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) migrant communities in Australia.
Thirty-three CALD mothers participated – twenty from India, five from Fiji, four from China, two from Nepal and one each from Israel and Macedonia.
It found that affordability was the biggest barrier to oral healthcare utilisation. Although CALD parents displayed an understanding of oral healthcare prevention, the delay in access and utilisation occurred, predominately related to the costs involved.
Lack of information
Confidence was reported by participants as the desire for trustworthy, quality care providers.
The Australian healthcare system was also described as confusing, particularly regarding the dual public-private healthcare system and lack of information.
One participant from India said: ‘…though I’m working here, I don’t have much connectivity or knowledge about the local dentistry over here.’
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Multi-sectorial collaboration
Findings highlight the ‘dental hesitancy phenomenon’ as the delay or avoidance in access or utilisation of oral healthcare in CALD mothers.
This is attributed to five ‘C’ factors: cost, confidence in quality care, confusion navigating the healthcare system, competing priorities and complacency.
As a result, authors call for a multi-sectoral collaboration between healthcare systems. This includes universal health coverage and primary sector support is required to address dental hesitancy in CALD mothers.
Other suggestions included information clarity on the public-private healthcare system, particularly for new CALD mothers to the country.
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