Socioeconomic Status and Oral Health Inequity in Karnataka

Various studies conducted across the world have reported that people belonging to lower socioeconomic groups compared to higher socioeconomic groups have poorer oral health status. Studies conducted in India conversely are inconclusive and provide conflicting evidence. Most of the studies on oral health inequalities in India have stressed socioeconomic status (SES) as an important determinant of oral health. Inequalities in socioeconomic status underlie many health disparities in the world, including oral health. Occupational status, income and education are intrinsically related. In general, the population groups those suffer the worst oral health status are also those that have the highest poverty rates and the lowest education.

Higher income enable people to afford better housing and permit increased access to medical care. In the same time, a high level of education increases the opportunity to engage in oral health-promoting behaviors. On the other hand, differences in income and employment of parents generate inequalities in oral health status of children. All studies conducted in this field confirm the link between socioeconomic status and oral health, which justifies the struggle to identify the factors involved in generating and maintaining inequalities in both general and oral health.