Oral health inequalities among geriatric population: A systematic review

Abstract

ABSTRACT As per the World Health Organization, governments should aim to accomplish two significant global milestones by 2030: reducing health disparities and granting universal accessibility to healthcare. The aim of this article was to systematically review the inequalities and understand the multifactorial causation of oral health inequalities among the older adults. Methods: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA) standards were used to carry out the review and is documented in PROSPERO CRD42026695761. Two authors did the search and screening in accordance with the protocol. Electronic databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and EBSCOhost articles of the last 10 years were searched for research presenting data on oral health status and oral health related quality of life in the elderly population. Quality assessment was performed using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS) for retrospective and prospective research. Results: Only 24 studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria and were incorporated into the qualitative synthesis. Multiple aspects of oral health and the related variables influencing disparities in oral health in the elderly population living in institutions have a positive link. Conclusion: The findings support the notion that this demographic consists of weak, dependent individuals who have poor oral health. The vulnerable elderly institutionalized population was recognized and validated, thus helps in providing measures that will eventually focus the risk factors to improve their OHRQoL.