Abstract
Introduction
the search for dental care is an important parameter to determine how individuals understand the oral health.
Objective
to evaluate the use of dental services and associated factors in cancer patients in Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Material and method
a cross-sectional study carried out with a sample of 441 adult patients attending a voluntary association to support cancer patients in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The outcome was assessed through self-report of dental appointments in the last year. Independent variables included socioeconomic status, general and cancer-related health, oral health, and dental care. The associations between the outcome and the independent variables were tested using bivariate and multiple logistic regression, and the results were expressed as odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI).
Result
the prevalence of dental appointments in the last year was 33.3%. Individuals who have between four and seven (OR: 1.80; 95%CI: 1.02-3.18) and those who have eight or more years of schooling (OR: 3.20; 95%CI: 1.07-9 .60) had greater, whereas, the edentulous (OR: 0.44; 95%CI: 0.21-0.92) had less odds to have had a dental appointment in the last year, independently of socioeconomic status, general health and oral health conditions.
Conclusion
recent dental care was uncommon among cancer patients. Furthermore, there were inequalities related to schooling and the number of remaining teeth in the use of services. The identification and prioritization of groups with unfavorable access to services are fundamental in planning the provision of dental care to this population.
Descriptors:
Oral health; oncology; dental health surveys; dental care; epidemiology