title: Access to primary dental care for patients with inherited bleeding disorders.
abstract: Patients with inherited bleeding disorders (IBD) can face difficulty in accessing primary dental care either due to disease-specific or patient-related barriers. This can lead to poor oral health and increase the need for more invasive dental treatment. This study aimed to highlight actual and perceived barriers that IBD patients from the East London area were experiencing. It also gives an overview of the experience history of the General Dental Practitioners (GDPs) treating these patients. Information was gathered via pre-designed surveys as part of a service development audit. A total of 105 anonymous patient surveys and 50 GDP surveys were completed between December 2010 and July 2011. The patient survey highlighted more patients to be affected by patient-related than disease-specific barriers to access dental care. The GDP survey identified that just under half of GDPs questioned were not confident in the dental management of patients with bleeding disorders. Identifying misconceptions and barriers to access primary dental care will enable further development of our shared-care approach between General Dental Services, Hospital or Community Dental Services and Haemophilia Centre, optimizing regular preventative advice and follow ups to prevent dental disease and invasive dental treatment requiring haemostatic treatment.
authors.affiliation: Royal London Dental Hospital, New Road, London, UK.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kalsi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nanayakkara
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Pasi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bowles
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Hart
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D025861:Blood Coagulation Disorders, Inherited; D002983:Clinical Competence; D017742:Dental Care for Chronically Ill / Q000592:standards*; D003752:Dental Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires