Contextual and individual determinants of tooth loss in the Afro-descendant older adult populations of different countries: a scoping review.

Abstract

Background: The Black population has poorer oral health than other racial groups; however, little is known about the mechanisms that explain this difference.

Objective: To study the association between race and tooth loss and map the evidence on factors associated with tooth loss in Black older populations.

Methods: Scoping review following the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews conducted according to the recommendations of the Joanna Briggs Institute. A three-step search strategy was applied, and data were collected between April and July 2021. Searches were performed in the PubMed, Lilacs, and SciELO databases. The grey literature was searched using Google Scholar (https://www.scholar.google.com/). The reference lists of included studies were used as additional sources. Studies published in English and Portuguese of the association between tooth loss and different racial groups and the factors associated with tooth loss and tooth retention in Black older adult populations were included.

Results: Twenty-one of 913 original articles published between 1995 and 2020 were included. Of these, 75% were research articles, 15% were reports, and 10% dissertations. Eighty per cent reported cross-sectional and 20% longitudinal data. African ancestry was associated with increased odds of tooth loss in older adult populations. Periodontal disease, female sex, and advanced age were the exposures most frequently associated with tooth loss.

Conclusion: Race, educational level, advanced age, and oral diseases such as periodontitis are associated with increased tooth loss in Afro-descendant older populations.