title: Dental Service Utilization: Patterns and Barriers among Rural Elderly in Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The biological process of ageing is outside human control and has its own dynamics. It is a known fact that elderly people have more treatment needs compared to the younger population and at the same time elderly people are facing a multitude of barriers in utilization of health care as well as oral health care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify the utilization patterns of oral health care and barriers for utilization among rural population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was done on 621 rural elderly subjects to identify the utilization of oral health care services and the barriers for utilization. Using stratified cluster sampling study area was stratified into 13 rural clusters, fifty houses were randomly selected from each stratum. All the elderly subjects, as defined by the age criteria were considered for study. The data were analysed using SPSS 20 v and Chi-square tests were used to analyse the data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 31.9% of participants reported visiting a dentist in the past while 36.7% reported experiencing a dental problem at some point in their life. There were no significant differences in utilization of dental services based on gender, socio-economic status, age groups and religion. However, significant differences were found in utilization of dental services based on the response of participants to past experience of dental problems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study results conclude that fear was one of the most commonly reported barriers for utilisation of dental services and there is a need for oral health education and promotion among elderly population.
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Sibar Institute of Dental Sciences , Guntur, India .
authors.forename: Vikram Simha
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Bommireddy
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Conservative Dentistry And Endodontics, Sree Sai Dental College and Research Institute , Chapuram, Srikakulam, India .
authors.forename: Krishna Mohan
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Koka
authors.affiliation: Professor and Head, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Sibar Institute of Dental Sciences , Guntur, India .
authors.forename: Srinivas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pachava
authors.affiliation: Reader, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Sibar Institute of Dental Sciences , Guntur, India .
authors.forename: Suresh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sanikommu
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Sibar Institute of Dental Sciences , Guntur, India .
authors.forename: Srinivas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ravoori
authors.affiliation: Post Graduate Student, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Sibar Institute of Dental Sciences , Guntur, India .
authors.forename: Viswa Chaitanya
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Chandu
keywords: Aged; Dental health services; Oral health; Socio-economic factors