ACCESS TO ORAL HEALTH CARE BY BLIND PEOPLE: INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Introduction: In Brazil, there are difficulties in accessing oral health services for people with visual impairments. In addition to suffering from a lack of equity, they face accessibility barriers related to locomotion, physical infrastructure and communication in search of satisfactory dental care. Objective: This study reviewed the Brazilian literature of the last 10 years, looking for articles that point out the barriers to access to dental services faced by the blind. Methodology: The method used was an integrative literature review, with quantitative, exploratory and descriptive data analysis. The search model applied was “access to health services” and “visual impairment” and “oral health” with queries made in May 2021, in the Google Scholar, Latin American and Caribbean Literature on Health Sciences databases (LILACS) and the Virtual Health Library (VHL), from the Online Scientific Electronic Library (SciELO). Results: Twenty-two (22) records were found. Fourteen (14) were excluded and eight (8) were submitted for descriptive analysis. At this stage, seven (7) articles were excluded, five (5) for not dealing with the visually impaired and two (2) for oral health. In the qualitative synthesis, one (1) article was analyzed. The review showed the scarcity of scientific articles published in the Brazilian literature on the topic addressed. Conclusions: The access of the visually impaired is limited by urban, architectural and attitudinal barriers and they feel welcomed and accepted in dental establishments, but due to the routine need they prefer the private service, with the same professional; instead of the public, with vacancies offered by shifts.