Perspectives on Community Dental Clinics and Oral Health Inequities in British Columbia

Background. This study investigates the expansion of community dental clinics to address oral health inequities in the province of British Columbia (BC) from the perspectives of dental professionals and allied service-providers. Methods. Sixty-three people participated in individual and group interviews with dentists (n=4), dental hygienists (n=30), dental clinic staff (n=17), and other health care and social service providers (n=12). Results. We identified two service-models: a volunteer-charitable (VC) model typically operating part-time mostly to relieve pain and a not-for-profit (NFP) model open full-time usually within a community health centre with paid staff providing basic dental services. Conclusions. Community dental clinics are increasing in number to fill a gap in the oral health care of disadvantaged people in BC. Staff in these clinics raised questions indirectly about distributive justice and health care inequity by suggesting that the unmet dental need of vulnerable people requires political attention and that restricted dentistry for underserved communities is socially unacceptable.