Ethnic inequalities in UK oral health:

Dental Tribune International

Tue. 18. November 2025

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LONDON, England: The structural asymmetries that pervade society as a whole are inevitably reproduced within specific industries, dentistry being no exception. A new scoping review has examined the state of evidence on ethnic inequalities in oral health across the UK, revealing clear disparities but also significant gaps in the available research. Drawing on 44 peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 and 2021, the review highlights variations in oral disease patterns, service use and self-reported outcomes among ethnic minority groups when compared with white populations.

Inequalities in access to oral healthcare often align closely with a variety of factors associated with cultural background. Immigration status is crucial among these. For example, a recent global scoping review said that “dental caries figures were higher in immigrant populations compared to the local population, regardless of host countries, age, gender or nationality”. Continuing this important trajectory of enquiry, the UK review has shown that the strongest evidence of inequality relates to caries, oral cancer and tooth loss. Studies consistently showed higher caries levels among Asian children, as well as among children from Eastern European backgrounds, even when socio-economic conditions or area deprivation were taken into account. In contrast, children identified as Black African or Black Caribbean generally experienced lower levels of caries. Among adults, ethnic minority groups typically recorded lower caries prevalence than white groups did.

Patterns in periodontal disease were mixed and often based on small local samples. Only a few national datasets included robust representation of ethnic minority groups, limiting confidence in cross-group comparisons. Evidence on dental trauma appeared largely inconclusive, and no clear ethnic disparities emerged across studies.

For oral cancer, multiple analyses of cancer registry data reported higher incidence among South Asian women compared with white groups, whereas rates were lower among Black and Chinese women. Survival differences were less consistent, partly owing to methodological limitations such as ethnicity being inferred rather than self-reported.

Subjective oral health outcomes also varied. Adults from ethnic minority groups were generally more likely to report poor self-rated oral health, but findings for oral health-related quality of life were inconsistent. Research on oral hygiene behaviours, sugar intake and dental attendance similarly showed no uniform pattern, reflecting both genuine variation and limited, often non-representative samples.

Overall, the review underscores that UK evidence on ethnic oral health inequalities remains fragmented and methodologically constrained. Many studies relied on aggregated ethnic categories, small samples or indirect measures of ethnicity, masking important within-group differences. The authors emphasise the need for large-scale, representative datasets with disaggregated ethnic classifications to deepen understanding and support targeted public health strategies. As the UK’s ethnic minority population continues to grow, strengthening the evidence base will be essential to ensure equitable dental care and improved oral health outcomes for all communities.

The study, titled “Ethnic inequalities in oral health within the United Kingdom: A scoping review”, was published online on 7 November 2025 in the British Dental Journal, ahead of inclusion in an issue.