Access to and Satisfaction with Oral Health Care from the Perspective of Pediatric Cancer Patients and Their Caregivers

ABSTRACT

To investigate the access to dental care and the oral health care provided to cancer patients aged zero to 19 years old; to detect possible difficulties hindering the delivery of oral health care; and to identify the main oral complications associated with anticancer treatment.Material and Methods:Interviews were conducted with 84 children and adolescents (or their caregivers) who were treated at Napoleão Laureano Hospital, João Pessoa County, Paraíba, Brazil; the interviews were recorded in audio files. The data were analyzed based on systematic reading of the interviews according to the content analysis technique.Results:Six categories were established Access to health care services, which was reported as posing difficulties by only 16.6% of the sample; Access to the hospital, considering that 40.4% of the participants reported traveling to the hospital in cars provided by the city government; Dental care, which was procured at basic health units (BHUs) by 52.3% of the participants; Conceptions on oral health care, in which 64.2% of the participants mentioned cariogenic diets and/or poor oral hygiene; Quality of life perception, whereby 70.2% of the interviewees reported to be satisfied or very satisfied and 63.0% rated their quality of life good or very good; and Health problems derived from treatment, with nausea being the most mentioned (27.2%).Conclusion:The patients did not meet difficulties in the procurement of dental care, which was most often sought at BHUs; they were satisfied or very satisfied with their health and rated their quality of life as good or very good...