Editorial: Biocultural Perspectives on Oral Health Disparities

Praveen Hoogar^1*Vinod Bhat²Gangadhar M. R³

• ¹School of Social Sciences, The Apollo University, Chittoor, India
• ²Vice Chancellor, The Apollo University, Chittoor, India
• ³Vice Chancellor, Chamarajanagar University, Chamarajanagara, Karnataka, India

To understand disparities, we must first expand our methodological toolkit. In the review (1), the authors argue compellingly for the inclusion of social science perspectives in dental research. They suggest that to truly address oral health inequities, researchers must move beyond clinical metrics to understand the lived experiences and social contexts of patients. This theoretical stance is complemented by the review (2). This paper bridges the gap between the micro-level (vitamin D metabolism) and the macro-level (cultural "habitus"), illustrating how deep-seated cultural dispositions can have measurable biological consequences. A core tenet of the biocultural approach is investigating how local beliefs influence health behaviors. Two studies in this collection highlight this dynamic in starkly different contexts. In Nigeria, the study(3) explores the intersection of traditional beliefs and modern diet. The authors examine how the cultural concept of "Je dí je dí " interacts with sugar consumption to shape caries risk in children, underscoring the need for culturally sensitive health education that navigates local belief systems. Meanwhile, in India, the study(4) provides a grim look at how culturally entrenched habits drive disease. The high prevalence of smokeless tobacco use in this region serves as a reminder that cultural practices can act as powerful vectors for biological harm, requiring interventions that are both culturally grounded and clinically robust.Structural Barriers: Geography and Economics: Disparities are often etched into the landscape itself. Several articles in this topic demonstrate how physical and economic barriers dictate oral health outcomes. The study(5) reveals how geographical isolation and ethnicity compound to create high caries prevalence among children who lack access to standard dental care. Similarly, the broad analysis in (6) confirms that socioeconomic status remains a definitive predictor of oral function. These findings reinforce the reality that biological resilience is often overwhelmed by structural inequality.The Lived Experience of Vulnerable Populations: Finally, this collection shines a light on populations often left in the shadows of public health policy. The qualitative study (7) offers a voice to the elderly. By documenting their narratives, the authors reveal how aging is not just a biological process of decay but a social experience of navigating a healthcare system that may not prioritize their needs. In a similar vein, the research(8) identifies a critical gap in communication. The study finds significant disparities in health knowledge among the hearing-impaired, suggesting that public health messaging is failing to reach those with sensory disabilities.From Evidence to Action: Implications of a Biocultural Approach: Taken together, the contributions to this Research Topic move beyond documenting oral health disparities to interrogating how and why they are produced. The collective evidence presented here underscores the limitations of narrowly biomedical and behaviorist models and highlights the necessity of adopting a biocultural approach that situates oral health within lived social, cultural, and structural realities.From a policy perspective, these findings suggest that oral health must be more explicitly embedded within broader social and public health agendas. Policies addressing poverty, education, disability inclusion, aging, and geographic access to care should be recognized as integral to oral health equity. Culturally responsive health communication and community engagement emerge as essential components of effective oral health promotion, rather than supplementary strategies. For clinical practice, the studies in this collection emphasize the importance of reflexivity and cultural competence in patient care. Understanding patients' explanatory models of illness, habitual practices, and structural constraints can strengthen trust, improve adherence, and reduce miscommunication. This is particularly relevant when working with older adults, ethnic minorities, and individuals with sensory disabilities, whose needs are often insufficiently addressed within standard dental care pathways.Finally, this Research Topic highlights clear directions for future research. Interdisciplinary collaboration between dental sciences, social sciences, public health, and health policy is essential for advancing a more comprehensive understanding of oral health disparities. Methodologically pluralistic approaches that integrate biological markers with qualitative insights can help move the field beyond documenting inequities toward informing interventions that are context-sensitive, equitable, and socially grounded. By foregrounding these intersections, the studies in this collection collectively argue for a reorientation of oral health research and practice toward integrative, sustainable solutions. Collectively, these eight articles demonstrate that there is no single "magic bullet" for eliminating oral health disparities. A child in the mountains of Vietnam, an elderly patient in the UK, and a hearing-impaired individual in Jordan face vastly different challenges. However, the solution in all cases requires a biocultural approach-one that respects the biological reality of disease while aggressively addressing the cultural, social, and economic conditions that allow it to thrive.As editors, we hope this Research Topic serves as a catalyst for future interdisciplinary work. We extend our gratitude to the authors for their diverse contributions and to the reviewers for ensuring the scientific rigor of this collection.