Abstract
Most oral conditions have a multifactorial etiology; that is, they are modulated by biological, social, economic, cultural, and environmental factors. A consistent body of evidence has demonstrated the great burden of dental caries and periodontal disease in individuals from low socioeconomic strata. Oral health habits and access to care are influenced by the social determinants of health. Hence, the delivery of health promotion strategies at the population level has shown a great impact on reducing the prevalence of oral diseases. More recently, a growing discussion about the relationship between the environment, climate change, and oral health has been set in place. Certainly, outlining plans to address oral health inequities is not an easy task. It will demand political will, comprehensive funding of health services, and initiatives to reduce inequalities. This paper sought to give a perspective about the role of social and physical environmental factors on oral health conditions while discussing how the manuscripts published in this Special Issue could increase our knowledge of the topic.
Highlights
The FDI World Dental Federation, one of the oldest dental associations in the world, stated a new concept for oral health as “multifaceted and includes the ability to speak, smile, smell, taste, touch, chew, swallow, and convey a range of emotions through facial expressions with confidence and without pain, discomfort, and disease of the craniofacial complex”
Empirical evidence has been developed about the association between social determinants and a variety of oral health conditions [6,7,8,9,10,11,12], dental services utilization [13], and oral health behaviors [14,15]
Few studies have focused on the relationship between the physical environment and oral health conditions
Summary
The FDI World Dental Federation, one of the oldest dental associations in the world, stated a new concept for oral health as “multifaceted and includes the ability to speak, smile, smell, taste, touch, chew, swallow, and convey a range of emotions through facial expressions with confidence and without pain, discomfort, and disease of the craniofacial complex”. Empirical evidence has been developed about the association between social determinants and a variety of oral health conditions [6,7,8,9,10,11,12], dental services utilization [13], and oral health behaviors [14,15]. Few studies have focused on the relationship between the physical environment and oral health conditions. This paper aimed to describe and discuss some current evidence on the role of social and physical environmental factors on oral health conditions and pointed out how the manuscripts published in this Special Issue could contribute to our knowledge of the topic. Publications by the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and the World Dental Federation were searched to organize this descriptive review.
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