Honors Program
Document Type
Thesis
Date of this Version
3-16-2020
Citation
Buhler, K. 2020. A Case Study of Barriers to Dental Care in Nebraska. Undergraduate Honors Thesis. University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Abstract
An important aspect of overall health is access to dental care, which is, unfortunately, oftentimes difficult to obtain. This study used data collected from a case study of three registered dentists in Nebraska to investigate the barriers to dental care, and identified the lack of dental insurance, limited access to free or reduced-price dental care, and dental anxiety as perceived barriers to dental care. Factors that did not seem to have an impact were language or ethnicity differences between patients and workers, distance to travel, comfortability with receiving free or reduced-price dental care, knowledge of how often to visit the dentist, and government policies in place that prevent easy access to dental care. Similarities to previous studies run by the state of Nebraska and dental institutions are also discussed, as well as ways to work around identified barriers using the Socio-Ecological Model.
Comments
Copyright Kaitlin Buhler 2020.