Non-Cochrane · prevalence · PM41699601
Barriers to dental service utilization in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Mousa Manal, Alkandari Mohammad, Alabbasi Haia, et al. · BMC oral health · 2026 · PubMed · doi:10.1186/s12903-026-07890-x
Findings
Population Healthy children up to 18 years
3 findings
| Cost as a barrier to dental service utilization | Not applicable | Proportion of children who did not use dental services due to cost Not specified · Parental report, studies from several countries · Overall | Proportion 0.27 [0.12, 0.46] GRADE not reported 11 studies · 93674 participants |
| Fear as a barrier to dental service utilization | Not applicable | Proportion of children who did not use dental services due to fear Not specified · Parental report, studies from several countries · Overall | Proportion 0.14 [0.02, 0.35] GRADE not reported 5 studies · 41862 participants |
| Transportation as a barrier to dental service utilization | Not applicable | Proportion of children who did not use dental services due to transportation Not specified · Parental report, studies from several countries · Overall | Proportion 0.07 [0.01, 0.16] GRADE not reported 5 studies · 3911 participants |
Included primary studies 12
Open in Studies| Study | Year | Also included by | Outcomes it informs here | Trial data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gao 2020 Utilization of dental services and associated factors among preschool children in China. PMID:31914978 | 2020 | 1 other review | Proportion of children who did not use dental services due to cost; PM41699601-P1-O2; Proportion of children who did not use dental services due to fear | not extracted yet |
| Al Agili 2005 Access and utilization of dental services by Alabama Medicaid-enrolled children: a parent perspective. PMID:16435643 | 2005 | this review only | Proportion of children who did not use dental services due to cost; PM41699601-P1-O3; Proportion of children who did not use dental services due to transportation | not extracted yet |
| Amin 2014 Barriers to utilization of dental services for children among low-income families in Alberta. PMID:25055238 | 2014 | this review only | Proportion of children who did not use dental services due to cost; PM41699601-P1-O3; Proportion of children who did not use dental services due to transportation | not extracted yet |
| Karam 2020 Barriers to the use of dental services by children in Lebanon and association with parental perception of oral health care. PMID:33226111 | 2020 | this review only | Proportion of children who did not use dental services due to cost | not extracted yet |
| Liu 2023 Pathway of Effects of Socioeconomic Status on Rural Left-behind Children to Receive Oral Health Services: A Structural Equation Modeling DOI:10.3390/ijerph20021068 | 2023 | this review only | Proportion of children who did not use dental services due to cost; PM41699601-P1-O2 | not extracted yet |
| Liu 2023 Pathway of Effects of Socioeconomic Status on Rural Left-behind Children to Receive Oral Health Services: A Structural Equation Modeling. PMID:36673824 | 2023 | this review only | Proportion of children who did not use dental services due to cost; Proportion of children who did not use dental services due to fear | not extracted yet |
| Marquillier 2021 Which determinants should be considered to reduce social inequalities in paediatric dental care access? A cross-sectional study in France. PMID:34347827 | 2021 | this review only | Proportion of children who did not use dental services due to cost; PM41699601-P1-O2; PM41699601-P1-O3; Proportion of children who did not use dental services due to fear; Proportion of children who did not use dental services due to transportation | not extracted yet |
| Murphy 2024 Factors associated with the use of oral health care services among Canadian children and youth. PMID:38630920 | 2024 | this review only | Proportion of children who did not use dental services due to cost | not extracted yet |
| Nagdev 2023 Andersen health care utilization model: A survey on factors affecting the utilization of dental health services among school children. PMID:37319189 | 2023 | this review only | Proportion of children who did not use dental services due to cost; PM41699601-P1-O2; Proportion of children who did not use dental services due to fear | not extracted yet |
| Onyejaka 2016 Barriers and facilitators of dental service utilization by children aged 8 to 11 years in Enugu State, Nigeria. PMID:26979531 | 2016 | this review only | Proportion of children who did not use dental services due to cost | not extracted yet |
| Siegal 2004 Oral health status and access to dental care for ohio head start children. PMID:15646915 | 2004 | this review only | Proportion of children who did not use dental services due to cost; PM41699601-P1-O3; Proportion of children who did not use dental services due to transportation | not extracted yet |
| Vali 2023 Investigating the access barriers to oral and dental health services for children from the perspective of parents attending the health… PMID:37304422 | 2023 | this review only | Proportion of children who did not use dental services due to cost; PM41699601-P1-O2; PM41699601-P1-O3; Proportion of children who did not use dental services due to fear; Proportion of children who did not use dental services due to transportation | not extracted yet |
Overlap with other reviews
Reviews that include the same primary studies are not independent evidence. Shared counts match studies by PMID, DOI or NCT, and otherwise by author and year (a probable match). Only the non-Cochrane dental reviews have study lists, so overlap with Cochrane reviews is not counted yet.
| Review | Shared studies | Jaccard |
|---|---|---|
| Decision-making regarding dental treatments - What factors matter from patients' perspective? A systematic review. (2025) | 1 | 0.01 |
Review question
| Element | Planned (methods) | Found (results) |
|---|---|---|
| Population | Healthy children 18 years or younger free from chronic illness, disability or medical conditions | Healthy children (n=11 studies; China, France, Iran, India, USA, Nigeria, Canada, Lebanon) |
| Intervention | Exposure of interest: barriers to dental service utilization (cost, fear, transportation) as perceived by parents or caregivers | Cost barrier (n=11 studies); fear barrier (n=5); transportation barrier (n=5) |
| Comparison | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Outcomes | Percentage (prevalence) of children who did not utilize dental services due to cost, fear or transportation | Pooled prevalence of cost 27% (95% CI 0.12-0.46), fear 14% (0.02-0.35), transportation 7% (0.01-0.16) |
| Study designs | Observational cross-sectional studies, English language | Cross-sectional studies (n=11) |
| Timing | Not specified | Not specified |