Caregivers’ perceptions of financial barriers to receiving dental treatment under general anesthesia at BC Children’s Hospital : a quality improvement/quality assurance project

Objective: This study aimed to investigate caregivers’ perceptions of financial barriers to receiving pediatric dental treatments under general anesthesia at BC Children’s Hospital, and to explore how these barriers influence overall dental care experiences across diverse patient needs. Methods: Primary caregivers of pediatric patients who had recent dental rehabilitation under general anesthesia from January 2024 to September 2025 were invited to participate. The survey was administered by Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) and responses were returned anonymously. Instruments included consent, demographics, dental care access, systemic medical conditions, private insurance, financial aids, affordability, financial impacts, additional barriers, future expectations, and general feedback. Responses were compared between those with or without financial barriers using contingency analysis and Fisher’s exact test (Graphpad Prism v10.5). Results: A total of 226 survey records were collected in REDCap (response rate: 14.1%). The mean age of patients was 8.30 years (SD = ±4.31). More respondents reported having financial barriers (64.4%, n=112) than those who had no financial barriers (35.6%, n=62). There was no significant difference in the presence of the medical diagnosis between the groups. There was no statistically significant difference between individuals who reported financial barriers and using private insurance or utilization of social workers support (p > 0.05). Significantly more respondents with financial barriers reported delaying dental care, declining recommended treatment, and experiencing negative consequences (P < 0.0001). Families reporting financial barriers were more likely to have children requiring a greater number of dental treatments (P<0.05). The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) was the most commonly used source of government subsidized funding, although the majority of the respondents did not know whether their dentist accepted CDCP (n = 113 or 65.3%). Conclusion: Caregivers at BC Children’s Hospital reported financial barriers for dental care; which lead to delays in dental care, declining treatment plan, and experiencing negative consequences due to lack of care. A need for improved affordability and broader access to support programs in British Columbia was identified. A communication gap between dentists and caregivers regarding acceptance of government funding was also noted. The CDCP is a positive addition to the funding for dental care.