Improving oral health care accessibility for homeless and vulnerably housed pet-owning populations.

Individuals experiencing homelessness face unique barriers to oral health care. In collaboration with local universities in Ottawa, Canada, research was conducted to explore the experiences of Community Veterinary Outreach (CVO) clients in accessing oral health care. CVO utilizes a One Health approach, providing preventive veterinary care alongside human health care services to promote health service uptake among pet owners experiencing homelessness. Based on the results of 4 research projects, this short communication proposes recommendations for promoting accessible oral health care and increasing service uptake at One Health clinics by CVO clients experiencing homelessness. Relevant themes leading to the recommendations were 1) barriers to care, including financial and individual circumstances, and discrimination by service providers; and 2) facilitators of care, including the presence of pets, compassionate care, and care received in community settings. Recommendations to improve accessibility of oral health services for CVO clients are 1) continuation of pet-friendly services; 2) delivery of oral health care in alternative settings; and 3) reduction of discrimination through continuing education for oral health professionals. It is hypothesized that the implementation of these recommendations will improve oral health care service accessibility and uptake among clients at CVO clinics and in the community.
Competing Interests: Brianna Jennings was a MSW Practicum student at Community Veterinary Outreach (CVO) and was paid an honorarium by CVO as part of her placement. Michelle Lem and Susan Kilborn supervised the placement and were supported through a “One Health" knowledge translation grant. Amanda Acker served on the board of directors of CVO during the research and writing phases of this project. She resigned from the board in March 2021.
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