Reducing oral health disparities: a focus on social and cultural determinants.
Oral health is essential to the general health and well-being of individuals and the population. Yet significant oral health disparities persist in the U.S. population because of a web of influences that include complex cultural and social processes that affect both oral health and access to effective dental health care. This paper introduces an organizing framework for addressing oral health disparities. We present and discuss how the multiple influences on oral health and oral health disparities operate using this framework. Interventions targeted at different causal pathways bring new directions and implications for research and policy in reducing oral health disparities.
Patrick
Donald L
DL
Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. donald@u.washington.edu
Lee
Rosanna Shuk Yin
RS
Nucci
Michele
M
Grembowski
David
D
Jolles
Carol Zane
CZ
Milgrom
Peter
P