Disparities in Access to Oral Health Care

In the United States, people are more likely to have poor oral health if they are low-income, uninsured, and or members of racial ethnic minority, immigrant, or rural populations who have suboptimal access to quality oral health care. As a result, poor oral health serves as the national symbol of so...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annual review of public health 2020-04, Vol.41 (1), p.513-535
Main Authors: Northridge, Mary E, Kumar, Anjali, Kaur, Raghbir
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Delivery of Health Care - statistics & numerical data
dental services
disadvantaged populations
Ethnic Groups - statistics & numerical data
Female
Health Services Accessibility - statistics & numerical data
Healthcare Disparities - statistics & numerical data
Humans
interventions to reduce disparities
life course approach
Male
Medically Uninsured - statistics & numerical data
Middle Aged
Minority Groups - statistics & numerical data
oral disease prevention
Oral Health - statistics & numerical data
oral health care equity
Poverty - statistics & numerical data
Quality of Health Care - statistics & numerical data
Risk Factors
Rural Population - statistics & numerical data
United States
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Summary:In the United States, people are more likely to have poor oral health if they are low-income, uninsured, and or members of racial ethnic minority, immigrant, or rural populations who have suboptimal access to quality oral health care. As a result, poor oral health serves as the national symbol of social inequality. There is increasing recognition among those in public health that oral diseases such as dental caries and periodontal disease and general health conditions such as obesity and diabetes are closely linked by sharing common risk factors, including excess sugar consumption and tobacco use, as well as underlying infection and inflammatory pathways. Hence, efforts to integrate oral health and primary health care, incorporate interventions at multiple levels to improve access to and quality of services, and create health care teams that provide patient-centered care in both safety net clinics and community settings may narrow the gaps in access to oral health care across the life course.
ISSN:0163-7525
1545-2093
DOI:10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040119-094318