Public Health Bioethics Presentation

Access to Care

• Oral health status varies significantly across different populations.
• Major disparities exist in the availability, accessibility, and acceptability of oral health education and care.
• A moral obligation exists to address unmet needs in public oral health.

Public Health Bioethics

• Bioethics expanded in the early 2000s to include a broader range of health issues beyond biomedical concerns.
• Beauchamp and Childress established four essential tenets:
  • Autonomy: Value of individual free will in public policy.
  • Beneficence: Duty to act in the patient's best interest.
  • Nonmaleficence: Obligation to prevent harm.
  • Justice: Ensuring fair access to healthcare resources.

Global Burden of Oral Diseases

• Oral diseases pose a significant public health burden, affecting life quality and general health.
• Poor oral health is linked to chronic illnesses, including diabetes and obesity.
• Dental caries is the most prevalent chronic disease, particularly in industrialized and low- to middle-income countries.
• High prevalence and cost of treating oral diseases make the mouth one of the most expensive body parts to manage in healthcare.
• Addressing oral health improvement requires integration of public health measures and attention to social determinants affecting disease prevalence.

Social Inequities and Access to Oral Health

• Socioeconomic status directly correlates with oral health outcomes:
  • Higher socioeconomic status leads to better oral health.
  • Lower socioeconomic status results in poorer oral health.
• Global disparities in oral health mirror the differences in socioeconomic development among countries, impacting overall health as well.
• Strategies are needed to address health inequalities, tailored to the specific determinants affecting different population groups.
• The dental profession must lead initiatives to reduce income disparities and enhance access to oral health care and resources for improved well-being.