Oral health care in the lives of Gypsy Travellers in east Hertfordshire.
OBJECTIVE
To explore Gypsy Travellers' perceptions of dental health and dental service use within the context of culture, environment and the use of other services.


METHODS
The author was a community dental officer and the study formed part of a MSc dissertation in dental public health.


METHODS
Information was obtained from semi-structured interviews with 43 Gypsy Travellers supplemented by a questionnaire and clinical screening of 72 Travellers.


METHODS
Place of residence, registration with GMP and GDP, school attendance, caries, normative and perceived barriers to care.


RESULTS
The Travellers in the study had a high level of unmet need, low dental registration and very little use of preventive services. Travellers have no cultural barriers to dental care. Control of their travelling was the major factor determining access to education and health services.


CONCLUSIONS
There is inequity of dental health and dental service use with more disadvantage being experienced by Travellers on unauthorized and transit sites.
Edwards
D M
DM
Department of Public Health, Bedfordshire Health, Luton.
Watt
R G
RG
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003469:Culture; D003729:Dental Care; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology; D004493:Education; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health; D011313:Preventive Dentistry; D012042:Registries; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D006178:Romani People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires