Intergenerational pathways to oral health: An integrative review

Background: The major oral diseases (dental caries, periodontal diseases, and oral cancers) are all relatively prevalent in the global population and largely preventable, while also causing pain and suffering across the life course for socioeconomically disadvantaged populations unable to access quality oral health care. Methods: This review critically examined the extant literature on intergenerational evidence to improve oral health with 4 objectives, namely, to: 1) incorporate older adults into existing multilevel frameworks; 2) include marginalized populations within and across regions of the world to promote oral health equity; 3) ensure that evidence from quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods studies and reviews was integrated in this research; and 4) identify promising intergenerational pathways to improve oral health at multiple levels of influence and across generations. Results: Forty-four original research studies and 11 evidence-based reviews were identified at all 4 levels (societal/policy, community/neighborhood, family/friends, and individual/population) of the social ecological model titled, Intergenerational pathways to oral health that was refined through this research. Conclusions: The 55 original research studies and evidence-based reviews critically examined in this review add to existing theory by intentionally expanding prior multilevel frameworks to embrace older adults as active participants in intergenerational interventions to improve oral health and health equity.