ArticleBMC health services research2026
Exploring barriers and facilitators in primary oral health services: step towards Universal Health Coverage.
Article in BMC health services research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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.
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.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Oral Health Care for Post-Stroke Dysphagia Patients: A Systematic Review of Best Evidence.Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare · 2026Review
- Smoking cessation counseling in primary care settings: Cross-sectional views from patients and dentists as key stakeholders.PloS one · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionDespite the Alma-Ata Declaration's emphasis on primary health care (PHC) to achieve universal health coverage (UHC), oral diseases remain prevalent and costly. In Iran, health reforms have expanded PHC, yet oral health services lag. This study explored barriers and facilitators of primary oral health service delivery in Tehran.
methodsThis qualitative study employed semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with dentists, heads of comprehensive health centers (CHCs), healthcare providers and visitors to the health centers in Tehran from November 2021 to January 2022. Data were analyzed using inductive content analysis with MAXQDA2020 and interpreted through the WHO Health Systems Framework, complemented by patient access dimensions, guiding understanding of system-level and user-level barriers and facilitators in oral health service delivery.
resultsThirty participants (10 healthcare providers, eight dentists, six CHC heads, and six visitors; aged 24-60) identified inadequate education, staffing shortages, equipment problems, financial difficulties, and poor attitudes toward oral health as major barriers. Facilitators included broad community coverage, dentist availability, and free patient education.
conclusionThis study highlights barriers and facilitators in oral health services within Tehran's health networks. Policymakers and practitioners should use these insights to improve education, infrastructure, and financial support, and foster a culture prioritizing oral health.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.