Decolonising Global Oral Health for Health Equity: A Scoping Review of the Global North Literature

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Dentistry presents itself as neutral and technical, yet its institutions and curricula remain shaped by colonial legacies. Decolonisation is both a concept and a process that seeks to dismantle these legacies and restore legitimacy to marginalised histories, knowledge, and cultures. This review mapped literature on colonial impacts and decolonisation pathways in global oral health, providing a foundation for future dialogue. METHODS: A scoping review was conducted. Searches across four databases (Medline, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL) yielded 3263 records, of which 65 articles were eligible. The review included metadata analysis (publication trends, author affiliations, decolonial frameworks) and qualitative thematic analysis in MAXQDA to identify relevant themes. RESULTS: Most of the 65 studies were published after 2020 and were authored predominantly by women from Global North institutions. While 58 studies critiqued colonialism, only 21 explicitly engaged with decolonisation. Thematic analysis highlighted three domains where colonial dynamics persist in global oral health: (1) marginalised populations and communities, (2) systems of education, research, and workforce, and (3) discursive forces and narratives-including historical erasures, neoliberal framings, and power structures. CONCLUSIONS: Dentistry has been slower than other health fields to engage with decolonisation and existing efforts are fragmented, rhetorical, and prone to co-optation, leaving the field in an early and uneven stage. Preventing the concept from becoming a hollow buzzword requires epistemic plurality, Indigenous and community leadership, and structural reforms in education, research, and practice. The field's future hinges on whether it continues to perpetuate colonial inequities or redefines itself as a justice-oriented force in global health.