Integrating social science into oral health and dental research: a narrative review

Oral health outcomes are shaped not only by biological and clinical factors but by social and structural conditions. This narrative review synthesizes social science contributions to oral health research published between 2015 and 2025, situating them within a longer history of interdisciplinary engagement. Foundational social science concepts have informed contemporary frameworks of dental public health, yet their methodological and theoretical integration remains limited. Relevant studies were identified in <i>PubMed</i> and <i>AnthroSource</i>. Peer-reviewed, English-language articles that substantively engage oral health through qualitative approaches were selected for inclusion. Drawing on methods such as interviews, focus groups, and ethnography, this body of research highlights how cultural frameworks, institutional barriers, and lived experiences shape oral health practices and outcomes. Across this literature, three purposes for integrating social science emerge: (1) adding interpretive depth to quantitative data; (2) analyzing how behavioral logics interact with structural constraints; and (3) improving outcomes through culturally responsive interventions. In our conceptual synthesis of this work, we argue for the continued development of <i>bridge concepts</i> (e.g., oral health fatalism, tooth shame, and status passage), which enable collaboration across disciplines by linking clinical practice to social context. Social science approaches expand explanatory frameworks, deepen contextual understanding, and illuminate oral health as a social and ethical phenomenon. By moving beyond methodological borrowing toward co-production of knowledge, interdisciplinary collaboration can more effectively address oral health inequities and support the development of care that is both scientifically rigorous and socially responsive.