Are dental policies in Australia inclusive of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the state of Victoria? A grey literature review

In Australia, inclusive disability legislation is in place to support people with disabilities to access health services, including dental health. Yet evidence demonstrates children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) face barriers to accessing dental services. Developing an understanding of factors that contribute to these barriers, in consideration of disability legislation, is crucial to the provision of equitable dental care for this population group. Access, the ability to obtain dental services, is conceptualised to include six domains: accessibility, availability, affordability, accommodation, acceptability, and appropriateness. To understand the extent of inclusion of children with IDD in policies that guide dental services in Victoria, Australia, a structured, systematic grey literature review on dental policies in Australia was conducted. Four search strategies were incorporated: (1) grey literature database searching via Grey Literature for Health™, (2) domain-specific Google Chrome™ search engines, (3) targeted databases identified from a list on Australian dental associations, and (4) targeted databases identified from a list on Australian disability advocacy organisations' websites. Where relevant, to confirm the scope of the resources, author organisations were contacted. Inclusion criteria guided the screening of the documents yielding three documents issued at the national level, with none issued at the Victorian state level. The relative absence of children with IDD from inclusive dental policies suggests research, policy, and practice gaps that may inhibit equitable dental care access for this population group. The findings also present as a timely opportunity to address the identified gaps in the next iteration of the plans such as the Australian National Oral Health Plan 2026-2035.