Abstract

Oral health is a vital though frequently neglected aspect of public health, with 3.5 billion affected by dental diseases. Socioeconomic inequality greatly impacts dental care outcomes, with poor populations having increased barriers in preventive as well as restorative care. The study explores different dental care models, i.e., publicly funded, private insurance-based, mixed, as well as community-based models, in terms of their ability in reducing dental care inequality. Universally accessible care is delivered in publicly funded models with challenges in terms of sustainability as well as manpower deficiency. The private insurance models deliver high quality care with increased inequality due to affordability. The hybrid models balance cost versus accessibility with bureaucratic challenges. The community-based models enhance outreach with increased funding requirements. The government measures in terms of preventive care as well as equal accessibility are promoted by measures from the Global Oral Health Action Plan from the WHO. Teledentistry, AI-based diagnostics, increased manpower, as well as reform in policies, can aid in making care more affordable as well as accessible. The review highlights that a combination of multiple strategies that involve utilization of technology, policy reform, as well as increased participation from society is necessary in order to achieve equal dental care globally.