Objective: To explore the attitudes of Chinese people regarding dentists and toward obtaining dental care in the UK.
Introduction: Injudicious use of general health services has been reported among Chinese people in the UK. In relation to oral healthcare, the extent to which cultural beliefs and values affect use remains uncertain.
Setting: Chinese communities in the north east of England.
Subjects and methods: A quota sample of 156 Chinese people was recruited in 1996. 50 elderly people, 56 adults, 50 teenagers were interviewed by 5 trained and standardised multilingual Chinese interviewers using a validated structured questionnaire.
Results: Access varied substantially according to age, with the younger generations more likely to obtain dental care without difficulty. Overall, the sample perceived that dentists possessed adequate technical competence, but their patient management skills lacked sensitivity. Older Chinese people placed less trust in dentists. Many elderly people reported problems in finding a UK dentist and would have preferred one of Chinese origin. Potential problems in follow-up prosthetic dental care were also apparent among this age group. Cost, communication problems, anxiety and cultural beliefs were identified as major barriers to dental care.
Conclusions: There is a clear need to raise cultural awareness among dental professionals as well as to help Chinese people's positive attitudes toward dentists and dental care.