551. Oral Health Disparities in Children: A Canary in the Coalmine?
- Author
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Watt RG, Mathur MR, Aida J, Bönecker M, Venturelli R, and Gansky SA
- Subjects
- Child, Dental Care for Children statistics & numerical data, Health Services Accessibility statistics & numerical data, Health Services Needs and Demand statistics & numerical data, Humans, Prevalence, Quality of Life, Risk Factors, Social Determinants of Health, United States epidemiology, Health Status Disparities, Mouth Diseases epidemiology, Mouth Diseases prevention & control, Oral Health
- Abstract
Despite being largely preventable, oral diseases are still a major public health problem in child populations in many parts of the world. Increasingly, however, oral diseases disproportionately affect socially disadvantaged groups in society. It is unjust and unfair that children and families from disadvantaged backgrounds experience high levels of oral diseases. This article analyzes oral diseases through a health disparities lens. Action to combat oral health disparities requires a radical multifaceted strategy that addresses the shared underlying root causes of oral diseases, the social determinants of health inequality., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2018
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