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Exploring barriers to oral health care

Guest Editors

Julia Csikar, PhD, University of Leeds, UK
Heather Leggett, PhD, The University of York, UK


BMC Public Health called for submissions to our Collection on exploring barriers to oral health care. Despite advancements in oral care, various barriers persist, hindering individuals from accessing proper dental health services and interventions. These barriers can be multifaceted, ranging from economic constraints to geographical disparities and limited awareness. Addressing these challenges is imperative for public health, as untreated oral conditions can lead to systemic health issues and impact one's ability to work and participate fully in society. 

New Content ItemThis Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being.

Meet the Guest Editors

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Julia Csikar, PhD, University of Leeds, UK

Dr Julia Csikar is an Associate Professor in Dental Public Health (DPH) within the School of Dentistry (University of Leeds). Julia has undertaken a variety of Public Health roles across the NHS and academia and has undertaken international research to understand the barriers to achieving good oral health using qualitative and quantitative methodologies. She has a particular interest in the oral health of vulnerable populations such as people experiencing homelessness and older people living in residential care settings.

Heather Leggett, PhD, The University of York, UK

Dr Heather Leggett is an applied health services research fellow at the Clinical Trials Unit, The University of York. Dr Leggett also co-leads a Qualitative Research Network at the University of York. Dr Leggett is a qualitative researcher with experience in oral health, orthopedics, medical education and primary education. Heather has previously led qualitative research exploring barriers to prevention in oral healthcare across 6 European countries and been involved in the development of cross-country validated questionnaires on attitudes to prevention in oral healthcare. More recently she has worked on the delivery of a mouth care intervention to hospitalized elderly patients to prevent hospital acquired pneumonia. 

About the Collection

BMC Public Health is calling for submissions to our Collection on exploring barriers to oral health care.

Dental health is a critical component of overall well-being, with implications for both physical health and quality of life. Despite advancements in oral care, various barriers persist, hindering individuals from accessing proper dental health services and interventions. These barriers can be multifaceted, ranging from economic constraints to geographical disparities and limited awareness. Addressing these challenges is imperative for public health, as untreated oral conditions can lead to systemic health issues and impact one's ability to work and participate fully in society.

The upcoming collection welcomes submissions to comprehensively explore various aspects of barriers to oral healthcare. Topics may include, but not limited to, the following:

  • Socioeconomic and/or geographic disparities in dental care access
  • Cultural influences on oral health behaviors
  • Impact of health literacy on dental health
  • Innovative interventions for overcoming access barriers
  • Telehealth and technology in dental care delivery
  • Public health policies and dental health equity
  • Pediatric dental health: early intervention strategies
  • Community-based approaches to improve oral health awareness


This collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being.

Image credit: © PeopleImages / Getty Images / iStock

  1. Early clinical screening and prevention can reduce the incidence and severity of early childhood caries (ECC). With the development of social media, TikTok and Douyin were used as important tools for ECC popul...

    Authors: Ming-Na Huang, Hong Lu, Ming-Yue Huang, Cai-Yu Li, Yue-Mei Zheng, Dan Wang and Shi-Jun Tang
    Citation: BMC Public Health 2025 25:1713
    Content type: Research Published on:

  2. Early childhood caries (tooth decay) can adversely affect child growth, development and well-being and is a leading cause of preventable hospitalisation for pre-school aged children. This necessitates the intr...

    Authors: Olivia Walsh, Amrit Chauhan, My-Van Trinh, Clare Lin, Sarah Marshall, Kara A Gray-Burrows and Mihiri Silva
    Citation: BMC Public Health 2025 25:1292
    Content type: Research Published on:

  3. Transgender women in Malaysia face social and healthcare marginalisation. Research about their oral health and oral health care utilisation is sparse. Despite growing clinical evidence highlighting the risk of...

    Authors: Lahari A. Telang, Hezreen Shaik Daud, Abdul Rashid and Aoife G. Cotter
    Citation: BMC Public Health 2025 25:1261
    Content type: Research Published on:

  4. Legal guardians frequently serve as role models for their children. The habits they instill in their children may prove effective strategies for establishing healthy oral hygiene behaviors. The present study e...

    Authors: Stephani Vargas-Santivañez, Marysela Ladera-Castañeda, Gissela Briceño-Vergel, Enrique Yarasca-Berrocal, Cinthia Hernández-Vergara, Jose Huamani-Echaccaya and César Cayo-Rojas
    Citation: BMC Public Health 2025 25:1030
    Content type: Research Published on:

  5. Dental caries in young children is a severe public health problem. Children depend on their parents and care professionals for their oral health. The aim of this study is to gain in-depth insight into the fact...

    Authors: Joline Goossens, Louise Poppe, Martijn Lambert, Doris Voortmans and Inès Phlypo
    Citation: BMC Public Health 2025 25:1018
    Content type: Research Published on:

  6. Transwomen are one of the most marginalised groups globally, with their experiences of prejudice significantly impacting their access to dental care and leading to social isolation. This study aimed to explore...

    Authors: Anhum Haroon Jadoon, Muhammad Shahzad, Saad Ishaq Khattak, Askar Ali, Hannah Maria Jennings and Maria Ishaq Khattak
    Citation: BMC Public Health 2025 25:937
    Content type: Research Published on:

  10. Although the oral health status has improved in developed countries in recent years, oral diseases are still unequally distributed across socio-economic groups. Research on the impact of socio-economic factors...

    Authors: Inês Caetano Santos, Giancarlo De la Torre Canales, David G. Lopes, José João Mendes, Mário Polido, Ana Cristina Manso and Helena Canhão
    Citation: BMC Public Health 2024 24:3505
    Content type: Research Published on:

  11. Considering the widespread use of social media, it is unsurprising that dentists are increasingly drawn to these platforms as a means of connecting with patients and sharing valuable insights. The aim of this ...

    Authors: Ivana Gušić, Marija Stojilković, Selma Alija, Dušan Prodanović, Jelena Mirnić and Tanja Veljović
    Citation: BMC Public Health 2024 24:3348
    Content type: Research Published on:

  12. The increasing number of young adults seeking cheaper and easily accessible orthodontic treatment from unlicensed practitioners in Malaysia poses significant risks to patients. Therefore, it is essential to ev...

    Authors: Al Imran Shahrul, Ezzatul Raihan Pauzzi, Nor Diyanah Athirah Abas, Nurul Asyikin Yahya, Khairil Aznan Mohamed Khan and Murshida Marizan Nor
    Citation: BMC Public Health 2024 24:3224
    Content type: Research Published on:

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "Exploring barriers to oral health care" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.