The Intersectional Burden: How Class and Colonisation Shape Dental Access in Canada
A new study in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology investigates the complex drivers of inequitable dental care access for Indigenous peoples in Canada. Using data from the 2017-2018 Canadian Community Health Survey, researchers performed a multilevel analysis across 18 intersectional strata defined by educational attainment, household income, and Indigenous status. The findings reveal substantial disparities: depending on one’s intersectional identity, the odds of having visited a dentist in the past year varied by 80%, while the odds of avoiding care due to cost or only seeking emergency treatment more than doubled. The analysis indicates that Indigenous status and socioeconomic position are powerful, independent risk factors for poor access, with little evidence of supra-additive interaction between them.
Why it might matter to you: This research provides a quantitative, intersectional framework for understanding the systemic barriers to oral healthcare, a core concern in oral medicine and public health. For clinicians and policymakers focused on oral mucosal diseases and cancer prevention, these findings underscore that improving early detection and management requires addressing fundamental access inequities shaped by colonisation and class.
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