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Review
. 2021 Dec 20;18(24):13429.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph182413429.

Perspectives on Social and Environmental Determinants of Oral Health

Mauro Henrique Nogueira Guimarães de Abreu  1 , Alex Junio Silva Cruz  1 , Ana Cristina Borges-Oliveira  1 , Renata de Castro Martins  1 , Flávio de Freitas Mattos  1
Affiliations
Review

Perspectives on Social and Environmental Determinants of Oral Health

Mauro Henrique Nogueira Guimarães de Abreu et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

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.

Keywords: delivery of health care; environment and public health; health behavior; oral health; social determinants of health.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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