Migrant and refugee Oral Health

Abstract

This issue contains two papers on the oral health of migrant people. The oral health of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers is often worse than the general oral health of the host country’s population (Crespo, 2019; Davidson et al., 2006). Poor oral health outcomes in migrants are due to a combination of upstream, psychosocial, and behavioral factors. Migrant communities might then have vital priorities that compete with oral health. Consequently, they may express lower needs and may not focus on oral health; all these factors lead to a higher risk of developing dental diseases. Lack of oral health services is commonly seen due to limited fi nancial resources or lack of dental providers in the vicinity of migrant communities or refugee camps. They face ad- ditional cultural and linguistic barriers in navigating the health care system of a new country.