Science AI Journal
Dentistry · Research topic

Open research questions in Dental Health and Care Utilization

828 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 9,678 Dental Health and Care Utilization papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • further studies on the effects of prosthodontic rehabilitation on systemic and nutritional health outcomes, - research on combined interventions with dietary counseling, - investigation of prosthodontic services with community-based nutritional counseling in low- and middle-income countries

    Effect of Oral and Prosthodontic Rehabilitation on Nutrition and General Health Outcomes in Edentulous Elderly Populations: A Systematic Review · 2026 · DOI

  • The impact of prosthodontic rehabilitation on systemic and nutritional health outcomes is unknown. There is a lack of systematic reviews on the effects of prosthodontic rehabilitation on nutritional and general health outcomes in elderly edentulous individuals.

    Effect of Oral and Prosthodontic Rehabilitation on Nutrition and General Health Outcomes in Edentulous Elderly Populations: A Systematic Review · 2026 · DOI

  • The number of people living in England's dental deserts, their geographic distribution, and ethnic profile are not known. There is a lack of understanding of the demographic characteristics of high-need dental deserts.

    High-need dental deserts in England: a national spatial analysis of NHS access and deprivation · 2026 · DOI

  • the number of responses varies by question, - not all respondents completed every survey item, - the study was limited to BHPs with experience in public behavioral health settings

    Prioritization of Oral Health among Safety-Net Behavioral Health Professionals: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Study · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a significant gap in formal oral health education for behavioral health professionals. Behavioral health professionals have limited understanding and confidence in addressing oral health challenges. There is a need for oral health continuing education courses for behavioral health professionals.

    Prioritization of Oral Health among Safety-Net Behavioral Health Professionals: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Study · 2026 · DOI

  • Sedentary snacking and bedtime delays associated with screen time. Sleep disturbances and disruption of circadian rhythm. Poor oral hygiene practices and lack of preventive services.

    Screen time, sleep disturbances, and dental caries in adolescents and young children: an emerging public health concern · 2026 · DOI

  • reliance on cross-sectional studies, - variability in the definition of screen exposure and sleep disturbances, - lack of adjustment for potential confounders, - heterogeneity in outcome assessment

    Screen time, sleep disturbances, and dental caries in adolescents and young children: an emerging public health concern · 2026 · DOI

  • The study did not meet the ICMJE definition of a clinical trial and was therefore not prospectively registered in a clinical trial registry, - The study was conducted with a limited sample size of 76 teeth/surfaces, - The study was limited to non-cavitated approximal caries

    In Vivo Comparison of Laser Fluorescence, Near-Infrared Transillumination, and Conventional Methods for Approximal Caries Detection · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies are needed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of different caries detection methods in various clinical settings, - Research should focus on improving the sensitivity and specificity of visual examination for non-cavitated approximal lesions, - The development of new methods with higher accuracy and reliability is necessary

    In Vivo Comparison of Laser Fluorescence, Near-Infrared Transillumination, and Conventional Methods for Approximal Caries Detection · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies could investigate the long-term effects of different toothpaste formulations on salivary calcium concentration, - Research could also explore the effects of toothpaste formulation on other oral health outcomes

    Short-term effects of different toothpaste formulations on total salivary calcium: A randomized crossover study · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies are needed to characterize the physicochemical properties of the fish scale-derived n-HA - Research is needed to investigate the effects of n-HA and arginine on enamel surface recovery in vivo - Studies should be conducted to optimize the concentration of n-HA and arginine in dentifrice slurries

    Synergistic effects of fish scale–derived nanohydroxyapatite and arginine on enamel surface recovery: a multi-modal in vitro analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • The current treatments for dental caries have limitations, including the formation of a relatively mineral-rich surface layer that can restrict the penetration of calcium and phosphate ions. There is a need for a novel approach that can enhance enamel surface recovery and promote mineral deposition. The combination of fish scale-derived nanohydroxyapatite and arginine has not been previously evaluated for its remineralization potential.

    Synergistic effects of fish scale–derived nanohydroxyapatite and arginine on enamel surface recovery: a multi-modal in vitro analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • The study had a limited sample size, - The fit of the four-factor model was marginal, - Formal measurement invariance across gender groups was not established

    Nursing Dental Coping Belief Scale among Portuguese healthcare professionals (NDCBS-PT): validation and associated factors · 2026 · DOI

  • Further refinement of the NDCBS-PT is needed, - Prospective testing of the relationship between oral-health training and self-efficacy is warranted

    Nursing Dental Coping Belief Scale among Portuguese healthcare professionals (NDCBS-PT): validation and associated factors · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the current state of prosthodontic rehabilitation for older adults, which often focuses on replacing missing teeth rather than restoring autonomy, dignity, and quality of life. The paper also identifies a need for digital innovation to be integrated into geriatric care pathways.

    Digital innovation in prosthodontics for older adults · 2026 · DOI

  • The epidemiological mechanisms linking poor oral health and oral function to declining well-being among older adults remain unclear. The effect of oral frailty on well-being, and the pathways through which it acts, remain underexplored. There is a need to examine the association between oral frailty and well-being in community-dwelling older adults.

    Association between oral frailty and well-being in community-dwelling older adults in Japan · 2026 · DOI

  • Conventional regression models may not accurately assess the relationship between oral functions and geriatric syndromes due to multicollinearity. Prior studies have not fully evaluated the relative importance of oral hypofunction components in relation to geriatric syndromes.

    Key oral hypofunction components for geriatric syndromes: Machine learning approach · 2026 · DOI

  • the study was a cross-sectional analysis, - the sample size was limited to 395 individuals, - the study only included community-dwelling individuals

    Relationship between lifestyle diseases and oral function in older adults: The Toon Health Study · 2026 · DOI

  • The age-dependent dynamics of the associations between lifestyle diseases and oral function decline are not well understood. There is a lack of comprehensive strategies for the prevention and management of lifestyle diseases that include oral function. The relationship between lifestyle diseases and oral function in older adults is not fully elucidated.

    Relationship between lifestyle diseases and oral function in older adults: The Toon Health Study · 2026 · DOI

  • the correlation between SHS and periodontitis is still under debate, - evidence for the impacts of certain pollutants on oral health remains limited and often inconclusive, - the study relied on existing research and did not conduct new experiments or data collection

    Association between exposure to environmental pollutants and increased oral health risks, a comprehensive review · 2025 · DOI

  • additional studies are needed to fully understand the relationship between environmental pollution and oral health, - further research should investigate the potential mechanisms underlying the impacts of environmental pollutants on oral health, - studies should explore the effects of different types and levels of environmental pollution on oral health outcomes

    Association between exposure to environmental pollutants and increased oral health risks, a comprehensive review · 2025 · DOI

  • further research is needed to investigate the relationship between oral health and MCI, - longitudinal studies are needed to examine the causal relationship between oral health and MCI, - studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm the findings

    The association between oral health and mild cognitive impairment in community-dwelling older adults · 2024 · DOI

  • The study identifies a gap in the research on the association between loneliness, life satisfaction, and oral health status among older adults. Prior studies have analyzed related variables in longitudinal analyses, but this study adds oral health outcomes to this growing research area.

    Loneliness and low life satisfaction associated with older adults’ poor oral health · 2024 · DOI

  • Although current evidence indicates that anticipatory guidance is a proven approach, its long-term reinforcement through a mobile app has not yet been tested.

    Innovative mHealth Intervention Providing Sustained Anticipatory Guidance (Zero Cavity): Design, Validation, User Perception and Effectiveness - A Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol · 2026 · DOI

  • It is low cost, low burden, quick and feasible and offers potential for use among understudied communities.

    The Modified Oral Status Survey Tool: Development and Psychometrics for Accessible Oral Health Data Collection · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Dental Health and Care Utilization

Most recent work

Find a gap in your own Dental Health and Care Utilization sub-topic

This page shows what the Dental Health and Care Utilization literature already flags as unresolved. To narrow it to your specific question, run the guided finder — it searches the gap library on demand and checks candidates against 250M+ OpenAlex works.

Open the Research Gap Finder →

Related topics in Dentistry

Dental Implant Techniques and Outcomes
965 open questions
Dental materials and restorations
874 open questions
Oral microbiology and periodontitis research
835 open questions
Endodontics and Root Canal Treatments
743 open questions
Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics
541 open questions
Dental Radiography and Imaging
350 open questions
Dental Erosion and Treatment
338 open questions
Dental Research and COVID-19
292 open questions
828 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 9,678 Dental Health and Care Utilization papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

Tools for your next paper

Gaps & Literature SearchFind open questions in any field — 120,000+ open gaps mined from our own library.Pre-CheckIs your paper ready? A Tier 1–5 acceptance probability in seconds.Journal FinderA ranked shortlist of target journals from a 17,500-venue index.Duplicate Publication CheckerCheck prior-publication & salami-slicing risk across 8 sources.Citation GeneratorFreeA DOI or title → APA, MLA, Vancouver, Chicago, BibTeX, RIS. No signup.Graphical Abstract MakerFreeTurn your findings into a colorblind-safe graphical abstract.

Compare the category — Honest roundups of the AI research tools, ours listed alongside the alternatives.

Command palette

Jump anywhere, run any action.