Citizen science in dentistry and community oral health

Background

The authors aimed to identify, describe, and discuss models and experiences of citizen science in dentistry and community oral health, with a focus on moderate through large involvement of citizens in the research process.

Types of Studies Reviewed

A search strategy was used in 6 databases and supplemented in gray literature with no restrictions on language or date. Eligible sources of evidence were observational studies, intervention studies, implementation studies, case study reports, and citizen science documents. Publications were assessed for final inclusion according to the eligibility criteria. Data were charted and synthetized qualitatively.

Results

From 1,236 records, 875 titles and abstracts were screened, 36 publications were selected for full-text reading, and 16 studies were included for data charting and analysis. All studies were conducted in North America, Europe, and Oceania. Participants were members of underserved communities, stakeholders (eg, dental care professionals, health care managers, and policy makers), and the general public. Most studies targeted socially disadvantaged local minority groups (eg, indigenous people, immigrants, and low-income families) with several health problems (eg, oral diseases, bad habits, and poor access to oral health care services).

Conclusions and Practical Implications

Citizen science in dentistry is still evolving, with concepts and methods for projects that require a multisectoral and interdisciplinary approach. The authors shared different possibilities for citizen science to directly address real-world oral health challenges, from local to multinational research problems. Citizen science can positively affect priority areas of prevention and education in oral health care across the life course, particularly for underserved groups.