The authors discuss utilization of dental health services by older Greek and Italian immigrants in Melbourne, Australia. Their study involved 374 Greek and 360 Italian adults who completed a questionnaire and received an oral examination. Nearly 41 % of Greek and 45 % of Italian respondents had used dental services in the previous year. As barriers to care, Greek participants most often cited waiting lists and waiting time in the office. Italian participants most often identified cost, length of waiting lists and language barriers. Multivariate analyses associated recent use of dental services with number of teeth, oral health knowledge, age and occupation before retirement for both groups, as well as living arrangements among Greek participants and perceived barriers among Italian participants. Findings highlight the need for oral health promotion programs targeted toward older adults from immigrant populations and reductions of the structural barriers that prevent these adults from seeking oral health care.

immigrants Elderly Dental services utilization

Needs Assessment hospital admission cultural anthropology immigrant dental health health promotion Australia economics demography human Self Report middle aged Time Factors Aged Victoria dental health education language Health Education, Dental Dental Health Services ethnology Residence Characteristics dentition health care cost Dental Care Health Care Costs Occupations Humans Waiting Lists male occupation female Greece questionnaire Article health care utilization adult migration age Age Factors Utilization Review age distribution Emigration and Immigration Italy health care availability health care delivery mouth examination Health Services Accessibility time