Unmasking oral health stigma: a qualitative scoping review.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Health-related stigma can limit access to care, impair adherence to treatment, and negatively impact mental health and quality-of-life. Oral health stigma, defined as stigma arising from oral conditions that diverge from sociocultural norms, operates through labelling, stereotyping, othering, and exclusion. Oral health stigma can lead to shame, diminished self-confidence, and avoidance of dental care, creating a self-perpetuating cycle of poor oral health and reinforcing internalised and anticipated stigma. While previous research has explored the social implications of oral appearance, little is known about the broader concept of oral health stigma or strategies to mitigate it.

Methods

This scoping review adopted Levac et al.'s six-stage framework. The review u

SUBMITTER: Doughty J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12922240 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature