Impact of perceived discrimination on prevalence of dental pain: Evidence from the ELSI-Brazil study

To investigate the association between multiple perceived discrimination sources and dental pain in Brazilian adults aged 50 years and older. This cross-sectional study analyzed data from 5713 individuals aged 50 years or older who participated in the second wave (2019-2021) of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brazil). Data were collected through household interviews. Perceived discrimination was measured using the Everyday Discrimination Scale and specific domains (healthcare services, social settings, workplace, family, and housing). Dental pain was assessed based on self-reported dental pain in the previous 6 months. Associations were estimated using Poisson regression models adjusted for sex, self-reported skin colour, age, marital status, household wealth, education, area of residence, self-rated general health, and tooth count. The prevalence of dental pain was 11.0%. Higher frequencies of dental pain were observed among individuals reporting any form of discrimination. The strongest associations were identified in the contexts of social meetings (PR = 2.20, 95% CI:1.70-2.84), family (PR = 2.04, 95% CI:1.35-3.08), and due to the place of residence (PR = 1.93, 95% CI:1.25-2.97). These findings suggest that discrimination may represent a psychosocial stressor related to oral health and highlight the importance of public health strategies aimed at reducing social inequalities and promoting equitable dental care.