Grey Literature and Statistics for Dentistry

These articles are a recent and a great starting point to find statistics on Black Oral Health and some of the inequalities in access to care.

Gupta AK, Economopoulos V, Wang T, Piguet V. Epidemiological trends and healthcare disparities in onychomycosis: An analysis of the All of Us research program. PLoS One. 2025 Jan 14;20(1):e0316681. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0316681. PMID: 39808608.

Yu J, Lin B, Zhang Z, Chen W, Lv W, Zheng L. Association between oral microbiome diversity and all-cause mortality: a longitudinal study of NHANES, 2009-2012. BMJ Open. 2024 Dec 20;14(12):e087288. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-087288. PMID: 39806633.

Ghaffari A, Bradbury RF, Harman J. Racial Disparities in Access to Preventive Dental Services in Pediatric Population: A Secondary Data Analysis. Fam Community Health. 2025 Jan 8. doi: 10.1097/FCH.0000000000000425. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39774434.

Wang Q, Wang BY, Williams S, Xie H. Diversity and Characteristics of the Oral Microbiome Associated with Self-Reported Ancestral/Ethnic Groups. Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Dec 11;25(24):13303. doi: 10.3390/ijms252413303. PMID: 39769067; PMCID: PMC11677810.

Testa A, Mijares L, Fu K, Jackson D, Gutierrez C, DeAngelis R, Ganson K, Nagata J, Mungia R. Race disparities in dental care use from adolescence to middle adulthood in the USA. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2024 Dec 25:jech-2024-223202. doi: 10.1136/jech-2024-223202. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39721741.

Rahman MS, Blossom JC, Kawachi I, Tipirneni R, Elani HW. Dental Clinic Deserts in the US: Spatial Accessibility Analysis. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Dec 2;7(12):e2451625. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.51625. PMID: 39714842; PMCID: PMC11667347.

Kranz AM, Evans LA, Gadwah-Meaden C, Geissler KH. State-Level Structural Racism and Children's Dental Care Access and Oral Health. JDR Clin Trans Res. 2024 Dec 20:23800844241308149. doi: 10.1177/23800844241308149. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39707588.

Obeidat R, Heaton LJ, Tranby EP, O'Malley J, Timothé P. Social determinants of health linked with oral health in a representative sample of U.S. adults. BMC Oral Health. 2024 Dec 20;24(1):1518. doi: 10.1186/s12903-024-05257-8. PMID: 39707273; PMCID: PMC11660569.

Megwalu UC, Ma Y, Divi V. Association of race and ethnicity with quality of care among head and neck cancer patients in California. Oral Oncol. 2024 Dec 18;161:107144. doi: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2024.107144. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39700600.

See more articles in PubMed

Heima, M., Heaton, L., Gunzler, D., & Morris, N. (2017). A mediation analysis study: The influence of mothers' dental anxiety on children's dental utilization among low-income African Americans. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol, 45(6), 506-511. doi:10.1111/cdoe.12313

Sokoto, K. C., Platt, L. F., Alexander, L. A., Foxman, B., Shaffer, J. R., Marazita, M. L., & McNeil, D. W. (2022). Racism in oral healthcare settings: Implications for dental care-related fear/anxiety and utilization among Black/African American women in Appalachia. J Public Health Dent, 82 Suppl 1(Suppl 1), 28-35. doi:10.1111/jphd.12523

Akinkugbe, A. A., Saraiya, V. M., Preisser, J. S., Offenbacher, S., & Beck, J. D. (2015). Bias in estimating the cross-sectional smoking, alcohol, obesity and diabetes associations with moderate-severe periodontitis in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study: comparison of full versus partial-mouth estimates. J Clin Periodontol, 42(7), 609-621. doi:10.1111/jcpe.12425

Allin, N., Cruz-Almeida, Y., Velsko, I., Vovk, A., Hovemcamp, N., Harrison, P., . . . Shaddox, L. M. (2016). Inflammatory Response Influences Treatment of Localized Aggressive Periodontitis. J Dent Res, 95(6), 635-641. doi:10.1177/0022034516631973

Childers, N. K., Grenett, H., Morrow, C., Kumar, R., & Jezewski, P. A. (2017). Potential Risk for Localized Aggressive Periodontitis in African American Preadolescent Children. Pediatr Dent, 39(4), 294-298. 

Eke, P. I., Dye, B. A., Wei, L., Slade, G. D., Thornton-Evans, G. O., Borgnakke, W. S., . . . Genco, R. J. (2015). Update on Prevalence of Periodontitis in Adults in the United States: NHANES 2009 to 2012. J Periodontol, 86(5), 611-622. doi:10.1902/jop.2015.140520

Eke, P. I., Zhang, X., Lu, H., Wei, L., Thornton-Evans, G., Greenlund, K. J., . . . Croft, J. B. (2016). Predicting Periodontitis at State and Local Levels in the United States. J Dent Res, 95(5), 515-522. doi:10.1177/0022034516629112

Garcia, D., Tarima, S., & Okunseri, C. (2015). Periodontitis and glycemic control in diabetes: NHANES 2009 to 2012. J Periodontol, 86(4), 499-506. doi:10.1902/jop.2014.140364

Gonçalves, P. F., Harris, T. H., Elmariah, T., Aukhil, I., Wallace, M. R., & Shaddox, L. M. (2018). Genetic polymorphisms and periodontal disease in populations of African descent: A review. J Periodontal Res, 53(2), 164-173. doi:10.1111/jre.12505

Harris, T. H., Wallace, M. R., Huang, H., Li, H., Mohiuddeen, A., Gong, Y., . . . Shaddox, L. M. (2020). Association of P2RX7 functional variants with localized aggressive periodontitis. J Periodontal Res, 55(1), 32-40. doi:10.1111/jre.12682

Heaton, B., Gordon, N. B., Garcia, R. I., Rosenberg, L., Rich, S., Fox, M. P., & Cozier, Y. C. (2017). A Clinical Validation of Self-Reported Periodontitis Among Participants in the Black Women's Health Study. J Periodontol, 88(6), 582-592. doi:10.1902/jop.2017.160678

Naorungroj, S., Slade, G. D., Divaris, K., Heiss, G., Offenbacher, S., & Beck, J. D. (2017). Racial differences in periodontal disease and 10-year self-reported tooth loss among late middle-aged and older adults: the dental ARIC study. J Public Health Dent, 77(4), 372-382. doi:10.1111/jphd.12226

Sanders, A. E., Divaris, K., Naorungroj, S., Heiss, G., & Risques, R. A. (2015). Telomere length attrition and chronic periodontitis: an ARIC Study nested case-control study. J Clin Periodontol, 42(1), 12-20. doi:10.1111/jcpe.12337

Tavakoli, T. T., Gholami, F., Huang, H., Gonçalves, P. F., Villasante-Tezanos, A., Aukhil, I., . . . Shaddox, L. M. (2022). Gender differences in immunological response of African-American juveniles with Grade C molar incisor pattern periodontitis. J Periodontol, 93(3), 392-402. doi:10.1002/jper.21-0143

Wang, Q., Wang, B. Y., Williams, S., & Xie, H. (2024). Diversity and Characteristics of the Oral Microbiome Associated with Self-Reported Ancestral/Ethnic Groups. Int J Mol Sci, 25(24). doi:10.3390/ijms252413303

Wu, X., Offenbacher, S., Lόpez, N. J., Chen, D., Wang, H. Y., Rogus, J., . . . Kornman, K. (2015). Association of interleukin-1 gene variations with moderate to severe chronic periodontitis in multiple ethnicities. J Periodontal Res, 50(1), 52-61. doi:10.1111/jre.12181
 

Childers, N. K., Grenett, H., Morrow, C., Kumar, R., & Jezewski, P. A. (2017). Potential Risk for Localized Aggressive Periodontitis in African American Preadolescent Children. Pediatr Dent, 39(4), 294-298. 

Clarke, R., & Shaw-Ridley, M. (2019). Parental Attitudes and Beliefs About Preschooler Preventive Oral Health Behaviors: Implications for Health Promotion. J Immigr Minor Health, 21(4), 731-736. doi:10.1007/s10903-018-0812-8

Collier, S. L., Lewis, J. M., Kasper, K. A., Marks, M. K., & Heidel, R. E. (2023). Dental Age Assessment of United States Black and White Children: Performance Reliability of Harris and McKee (1990). Am J Forensic Med Pathol, 44(1), 33-41. doi:10.1097/paf.0000000000000797

Como, D. H., Floríndez-Cox, L. I., Stein Duker, L. I., & Cermak, S. A. (2022). Oral Health Barriers for African American Caregivers of Autistic Children. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 19(24). doi:10.3390/ijerph192417067

Como, D. H., Stein Duker, L. I., Polido, J. C., & Cermak, S. A. (2019). The Persistence of Oral Health Disparities for African American Children: A Scoping Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 16(5). doi:10.3390/ijerph16050710

Fontana, M., Eckert, G. J., Keels, M. A., Jackson, R., Katz, B. P., Kemper, A. R., . . . McKnight, P. (2019). Predicting Caries in Medical Settings: Risk Factors in Diverse Infant Groups. J Dent Res, 98(1), 68-76. doi:10.1177/0022034518799080

Ghazal, T. S., Levy, S. M., Childers, N. K., Broffitt, B. A., Caplan, D. J., Warren, J. J., . . . Kolker, J. (2016). Dental Caries in High-risk, School-age African American Children in Alabama: A Six-year Prospective. Pediatr Dent, 38(3), 224-230. 

Han, R., Yue, J., Lin, H., Du, N., Wang, J., Wang, S., . . . Bu, S. (2021). Salivary Microbiome Variation in Early Childhood Caries of Children 3-6 Years of Age and Its Association With Iron Deficiency Anemia and Extrinsic Black Stain. Front Cell Infect Microbiol, 11, 628327. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2021.628327

Herndon, J. B., & Ojha, D. (2022). Racial and ethnic disparities in oral healthcare quality among children enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP. J Public Health Dent, 82 Suppl 1(Suppl 1), 89-102. doi:10.1111/jphd.12522

Inglehart, M. R., Migliore, N., Gutta, A., & Briskie, D. (2019). Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Parents and Oral Health-related Information. Oral Health Prev Dent, 17(3), 235-242. doi:10.3290/j.ohpd.a42660

Park, L., Gomaa, N., & Quinonez, C. (2022). Racial/ethnic inequality in the association of allostatic load and dental caries in children. J Public Health Dent, 82(2), 239-246. doi:10.1111/jphd.12470

Reynolds, J. C., Comnick, C. L., Nwachukwu, P. C., & Singhal, A. (2024). State-Level Racial Inequity in Children's Dental Care Use in the U.S. and Association with State-Level Structural Racism. J Health Care Poor Underserved, 35(4), 1023-1038. doi:10.1353/hpu.2024.a943975
 

Alliance for Healthier Communities/Alliance pour des communautes en sante (2025). Oral Health. 

American Dental Association (2024) National Trends in Dental Care Use, Dental Insurance Coverage, and Cost Barriers. This presentation shows that Black and Hispanic populations have the lowest use of dental care in the US. 

McKoy, Jillian (2023, November 3). Racism is linked to Dental Anxiety and Fear among Black Women. Health Inequities: Boston University News.

World Health Organization (2025). Oral Health.

World Health Organization (2022). Global oral health status report. 

Lui, V. and Timothy, R., Gerstein Science Information Centre (2025). Black Health and Pedagogy. [Libguide] 

Alliance for Healthier Communities/Alliance pour des communautes en sante (2025). Black Health.

Domey, N., Patsiurko (Updated October 2024) The Diversity of Black population in Canada, 2021: A sociodemographic portrait. Statistics Canada.

Memar, R.O., Grinfeld, L., Federation of Black Canadians (2021). COVID-29 and Black Canadians' Oral Health and Access to Dental Care.