Refugee Oral Health: A Global Survey of Current Policies and Practices

• Published in: Journal of immigrant and minority health Vol. 24; no. 4; pp. 1081 - 1086
• Main Authors: Kateeb, Elham, Sintes, Marc, Taylor, Sean
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.08.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Advocacy; Brief Communication; Comparative Law; Data collection; Dentists; Health care; Health education; Health promotion; Health services; International & Foreign Law; Medical screening; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; NGOs; Nongovernmental organizations; Oral diseases; Oral health; Oral hygiene; Policies; Polls & surveys; Private International Law; Public Health; Refugees; Sociology; Europe; Africa
• ISSN: 1557-1912; 1557-1920
• DOI: 10.1007/s10903-021-01285-6

Barriers to oral health care among refugees (Fig. 1) vary within and between countries due to diverse policies related to oral health and the varying legal status of refugees [12–14]. This brief report describes the current policies related to refugee oral health care in different countries and the dental services offered in these settings. This survey collected data from National Dental Associations (NDAs) with the aim of understanding access to oral health care, availability and affordability of oral health services, and current policies related to refugee oral health in different countries. Survey data was also used to develop an advocacy guide to help governmental and non-governmental organizations working in oral healthcare provision to promote oral health among refugees [15]. The guide raises awareness about the burden of oral diseases among refugees and provides a step by step plan to advocate for better oral health in this vulnerable population [15].