Social determinants of health and dental caries in Brazil: a systematic review of the literature between 1999 and 2010

Abstract

Most studies identified a high rates of dental caries among the poorest, least educated, black and brown and female individuals. A more detailed methodological and theoretically sound study of the relationship between dental caries and socioeconomic conditions is needed.

How much does household food insecurity explain income inequalities in untreated dental caries?

“…The socioeconomic factor evaluated in the present investigation was per capita household income. Household income is often used as an explanatory variable for dental caries, and the inverse relationship between income and caries is widely recognized . This is the first study to demonstrate that the distribution of untreated dental caries among income strata is partially explained by HFI.…”

“…Household income is often used as an explanatory variable for dental caries, and the inverse relationship between income and caries is widely recognized. 18,19 This is the first study to demonstrate that the distribution of untreated dental caries among income strata is partially explained by HFI. Food insecurity is a social health determinant defined as inadequate access to food, which results in a scarcity of food items, irregular eating patterns, and hunger.…”

High prevalence of dental caries among HIV‐infected children in West Africa compared to uninfected siblings

“…One of our study's main strengths was that the members of the control group, recruited from the same families as the HIV‐infected children, represented a comparable group with respect to socio‐economic characteristics which are known to be associated with oral health . In addition, we adjusted the analyses for the recruitment clinic to avoid any confounding effects related to clinic characteristics regarding socio‐economic environment, data collection, HIV/oral care or level of fluoride in the drinking water, which we could not measure and could have affected the results.…”

Differences of oral health conditions between adults and older adults: A census in a Southern Brazilian city

“…Despite the well-established knowledge regarding the influence of socioeconomic status on oral health conditions, it is still unclear what the role of psychosocial characteristics, such as marital status, plays on an individual's oral health. 28 Thus, the present study contributes on the understanding of how conditions, such as marital status, influence oral health. Further studies are recommended to elucidate potential factors, such as oral health perception, behavioral and biological characteristics associated with oral health conditions/ diseases, in this population.…”

“…These alarming results stress the need for programs of oral health surveillance, especially focusing on lower income and older people, aiming for the early detection of oral health diseases and quick re‐establishment of health. Despite the well‐established knowledge regarding the influence of socioeconomic status on oral health conditions, it is still unclear what the role of psychosocial characteristics, such as marital status, plays on an individual's oral health . Thus, the present study contributes on the understanding of how conditions, such as marital status, influence oral health.…”