Accessibility to oral health care for people on social assistance: a survey of social service providers from Public Welfare Centers in Flanders.

Objectives: The goals of the present study were as follows: (i) to explore the characteristics of the Flemish Public Centers for Social Welfare (PCSW) concerning oral health care; (ii) to explore possible barriers experienced by people on social assistance and oral health-care providers; and (iii) to explore the accessibility of general and oral health care for people on social assistance.

Methods: The data of this cross-sectional study were obtained by a survey of social service providers working in a PCSW. For this purpose, a new questionnaire was developed.