Editorial

Across the world, women continue to face barriers in accessing quality healthcare and within oral health services one of the most persistent yet overlooked obstacles is language. In multilingual societies and among migrant populations, language differences frequently influence whether women seek dental care, receive accurate diagnoses, understand preventive guidance or adhere to treatment plans. In dentistry, where patient history, pain description, consent and long-term self-care instructions are essential, effective communication is not optional it is fundamental to quality care.

Evidence consistently demonstrates that language discordance between dental professionals and patients is associated with delayed care, misinterpretation of symptoms, reduced compliance with oral hygiene and treatment protocols and poorer oral health outcomes. Women from migrant, refugee and minority-language communities are particularly affected, often postponing dental visits due to fear of misunderstanding, cultural discomfort or lack of accessible information. These barriers contribute to higher burdens of untreated caries, periodontal disease and oral pain, with implications for nutrition, systemic health and quality of life.

Language barriers also intersect with cultural norms surrounding women’s health, pain expression and decision-making. Sensitive oral health concerns such as facial pain, temporomandibular disorders, pregnancy-related oral changes or experiences of domestic violence presenting as dental trauma—require privacy and trust. When professional interpretation is unavailable, reliance on family members for translation may compromise confidentiality, accuracy and patient autonomy.

Addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive approach. Dental healthcare systems must integrate trained medical interpreters, multilingual patient education materials and culturally responsive communication strategies. Emerging digital tools, including tele-dentistry platforms and Artificial Intelligence-assisted translation, offer promising support but must complement, not replace, human-centered care grounded in empathy and cultural competence. Equally important is training oral healthcare professionals to recognize how language, culture and gender shape health behaviors and treatment perceptions.

Community engagement plays a critical role. Partnerships with women’s groups, migrant organizations and community mediators help build trust and improve oral health literacy. When women receive dental health information in familiar languages and culturally meaningful contexts, they are more likely to engage in preventive care and advocate for their own oral health and that of their families.

Investing in multilingual access within oral healthcare is both ethically necessary and economically sound. Preventive dentistry, early intervention and informed consent reduce long-term healthcare costs while improving population oral health outcomes. Ultimately, recognizing language as a core component of dental care strengthens equity, trust and effectiveness.

Healthcare equity begins with listening and in oral health, that listening must occur in every language women speak.

Keywords: Language Barriers; Women’s Oral Health; Dental Health Equity; Culturally Competent Care

Conflict of Interest

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.

Funding Statement

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial or non-profit sectors.

Acknowledgement

None.

Data Availability Statement

Not applicable.

Ethical Statement                                                

The project did not meet the definition of human subject research under the purview of the IRB according to federal regulations and therefore, was exempt.

Informed Consent Statement

Informed consent was taken for this study.

Authors’ Contributions

The author(s) conceived the editorial concept, reviewed relevant literature, drafted the manuscript, and approved the final version for publication.