Unheard voices in oral health: the mouth, oral health, and barriers to accessing dental care in disadvantaged communities and Venezuelan migrants in Bogotá

BACKGROUND: Research on barriers to oral healthcare in Colombia shows that access is restricted by the uneven geographical distribution of dental providers and high out-of-pocket costs for patients, particularly affecting poor populations, residents of marginalised areas, and people in vulnerable situations. This study aimed to explore the significance given to the mouth, oral health, and the barriers to accessing dental care based on the experiences of people belonging to disadvantaged communities and Venezuelan migrants in Bogotá, Colombia. METHODS: An exploratory qualitative study with a phenomenological approach was conducted. Two data collection tools were used: field diaries and semi-structured interviews. A hermeneutic-phenomenological analysis was performed using a process that included: coding and establishing general units of meaning (initial categorisation), arranging and grouping data (relevant units of meaning); and triangulation of sources and face-to-face validation between researchers. RESULTS: Three units of meaning were identified: personal confidence and social interaction, barriers to access, and bureaucratic itineraries and dehumanisation. Although the mouth and oral health were identified as fundamental to people's lives, playing a crucial role in social interactions and self-esteem, people belonging to vulnerable and marginalised communities experience significant barriers that hinder access to oral health care. The main barriers identified were geo-economic and technological. CONCLUSIONS: The bureaucracy of the Colombian health system exacerbates the situation, contributing to the high burden of oral diseases and leaving people without timely care. Public policies must focus on reducing these barriers to ensure equity and effective exercise of the human right to oral health.