Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40189463›Full record

ArticleDisability and health journal2025

Assessing unmet need for dental care from the perspective of adults with disabilities: A mixed methods approach.

Marissa Andréah Diaz, Elizabeth Geneva Wood, Weili Yuan, Gilbert Gimm, Jae Kennedy

Abstract read
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Article in Disability and health journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Marissa Andréah DiazDepartment of Community and Behavioral Health, Washington State University College of Medicine, Community and Behavioral Health, 412 E Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA, 99202, USA.
Elizabeth Geneva WoodDepartment of Community and Behavioral Health, Washington State University College of Medicine, Community and Behavioral Health, 412 E Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA, 99202, USA.
Weili YuanDepartment of Community and Behavioral Health, Washington State University College of Medicine, Community and Behavioral Health, 412 E Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA, 99202, USA.
Gilbert GimmDepartment of Health Administration and Policy, College of Public Health, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, MS-1-J3, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA.
Jae KennedyDepartment of Community and Behavioral Health, Washington State University College of Medicine, Community and Behavioral Health, 412 E Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA, 99202, USA. Electronic address: jjkennedy@wsu.edu.

Funding

ACL HHS 90IFRE0050ACL HHS 90IFRE0089
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAdults with disabilities face multiple barriers in accessing health care and experience a variety of unmet needs, including dental care. However, few U.S. studies have assessed unmet need for dental care from the perspective of adults with disabilities.

objectiveWe sought to assess unmet need for dental care services from the perspective of adults with disabilities using a mixed methods approach.

methodsUsing individual-level data from the 2022 National Survey on Health and Disability, we conducted a descriptive analysis of participant characteristics, unmet need for dental care, and reasons for unmet need. Using content analysis, we analyzed open-ended text responses from the survey.

resultsWhile participants most commonly cited underinsurance as a barrier to services, they also highlighted lack of accommodation, dental anxiety, and difficulty securing appointments as issues resulting in unmet dental care needs.

conclusionThis study illustrates not only the rate of unmet need for dental care for adults with disabilities, but also the reasons driving this phenomenon. Future research is needed to delve further into the reasons cited by participants, namely dental anxiety and the perception that dental providers are unwilling to serve disabled people, neither of which has been explored in-depth quantitatively or qualitatively.

Indexed as

Dental CareDental Care for Persons with DisabilitiesHealth Services AccessibilityHealth Services Needs and DemandNeeds AssessmentPersons with DisabilitiesAdolescentAdultAgedDental AnxietyFemaleHumansMaleMedically UninsuredMiddle AgedSurveys and QuestionnairesContent analysisDental careHealth careMixed methodsSurveyUnmet need

Identifiers

PMID40189463
PMCPMC12354226

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.