Table 3 Main themes and sub-themes regarding inequalities in oral health in India

Individual Factors

Fear & anxiety

[2, 7, 8, 11, 13, 40, 45, 52, 55, 75,76,77,78,79,80]

Cultural and personal beliefs

[2, 7, 8, 11, 17, 21, 22, 25, 30, 31, 34, 37, 40, 42, 52, 55, 57, 63,64,65, 67, 69, 73, 75,76,77,78,79,80,81]

Preference for alternative medicine

[8, 13, 25, 37, 55, 80]

Time pressures

[11, 40, 52, 55, 57, 76, 77, 80]

Lack of awareness

[2, 7, 11, 17, 19, 22, 24, 25, 31, 36, 37, 40,41,42,43,44, 51,52,53, 57, 63,64,65,66,67, 70, 73, 75,76,77,78,79,80,81,82]

Higher risk for oral cancer and periodontal disease

[21, 68, 83]

Patient Perception

[57]

Misc. Personal Barriers

[11, 31, 45, 55, 69, 70, 77]

Socio-demographic Factors

Age [Infants (0–5 yrs.),Children (6–18 yrs.), Adults (Above 18 yrs.), Geriatric Patients]

[12,13,14, 16, 25, 30, 36, 38, 43, 55, 66, 67, 73, 81]

Gender (Females, Transgender’s)

[7, 13, 14, 30, 31, 55, 68, 72, 74, 77, 79, 84]

Geographic Distribution (Rural, Urban)

[14, 16, 19, 21, 30, 31, 39, 44, 55, 57, 62, 64, 66, 68, 73, 81]

Underserved Areas (Resettlement Colonies, Urban Slums, Tribal People, Immigrants, Socially isolated)

[12, 14, 16, 21, 36, 40, 44, 54, 63, 64, 66, 69, 76, 80, 81]

Disadvantaged High Needs Group

[8,9,10, 21, 45, 71, 72, 82]

Socioeconomic Factors

[10, 14,15,16,17, 21, 30, 31, 44, 55, 62, 64,65,66, 68, 71, 78,79,80,81,82]

Deprivation

[14]

Access Barriers & Facilitators

Inability to travel

[40, 63, 66, 76, 77, 81]

Unable to afford the cost of care

[2, 7, 17, 19, 21, 24, 25, 34, 36, 39, 40, 43, 44, 46, 52, 53, 55, 57, 67, 76, 77, 80]

Lack of public dental care

[8, 13, 43, 50, 63, 84]

High cost of private dental care

[19, 24, 30, 39, 46, 48, 51, 53, 65, 67, 85]

Facilitators of oral health

[13,14,15, 17, 22, 30, 31, 55, 61,62,63,64,65,66, 68, 73, 79, 81, 82]

Deficiencies in Human Resources for Oral Health

Dental education and training

[11, 18, 21, 23, 24, 31, 36, 39, 43, 53, 54, 70, 86]

Human Resource planning and distribution

[2, 18,19,20,21, 23, 24, 31, 34, 36,37,38,39, 41, 43, 44, 46, 50, 52, 53, 55, 74]

Under and non-utilization of dental auxiliaries

[20, 23, 24, 34, 37, 39, 43, 48, 52, 86]

Shortcomings of Dental Service Provisions

Limitations of Public set-ups

[2, 11, 18, 19, 21, 23, 24, 36, 37, 39,40,41,42,43, 46, 52, 55,56,57, 67, 77, 78, 82]

Dentist related factors

[7, 8, 40, 52, 55, 57, 70]

Policy related issues

[2, 18, 19, 21, 23,24,25, 34, 36,37,38,39, 43, 46, 48, 50,51,52,53, 55, 80]

Restructuring of dental workforce development strategies

Dental education and training reforms

[7, 11, 12, 15, 18, 19, 23,24,25, 31, 32, 34, 36, 38, 41,42,43,44,45, 48, 50, 51, 55, 56, 66, 70, 72, 74, 86]

Dental workforce related reforms

[18,19,20, 22,23,24,25, 30, 31, 36,37,38,39, 42,43,44, 48, 51, 52, 54, 74, 86]

Modifications in oral health policies and practices

Public Health related reforms

[2, 8, 11, 12, 14, 15, 18, 20,21,22,23,24,25, 30,31,32, 34, 36, 37, 41,42,43,44,45,46, 48, 51,52,53, 62, 66,67,68, 73, 74, 82, 83, 86]

Oral Health Promotion related reforms

[2, 11, 12, 14,15,16,17, 21,22,23,24, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40,41,42,43,44,45, 48, 50,51,52, 55, 56, 62, 65, 67,68,69,70, 73, 77, 82, 83]

Policy related reforms

[2, 8, 11, 12, 15, 18,19,20,21,22, 25, 30, 31, 34, 36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44, 46,47,48, 50, 51, 53, 55, 57, 62, 63, 65, 74, 84]

Infrastructure Reforms

[2, 19, 21, 22, 24, 34, 36,37,38, 40, 42, 44, 48, 50, 52, 56]