High resolution integrated access mapping of oral health care needs in the United Kingdom, by geographic information systems analysis

This thesis entails a series of published studies that investigates the spatial accessibility of the current dental workforce of the United Kingdom, utilising state-of-the-art geospatial methods. Stark disparities in accessing oral healthcare were found; a socioeconomic distribution of oral healthcare was present in some groups and access for rural communities were inadequate. Health policies have the potential to mitigate or reinforce inequalities in oral health and access to oral healthcare. Research presented in this thesis shows how high-acuity data may be utilised in the context of vastly advancing GIS technology to develop ways to overcome inequalities in accessing oral healthcare.