Dominant Power and the Concept of Caste: Implications for Dentistry and Oral Health Inequality

This paper explores the issues of caste and casteism in the U.S. as described by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson in her 2020 book “Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents”. Wilkerson argues that a caste system not only exists in the U.S. but operates as a hidden force affecting social inequality. The paper draws on Wilkerson’s work to explore caste as an analytical concept. It begins by defining caste and casteism in contrast with racism, the eight pillars of a caste system, the consequences of casteism, and the psychological drivers of casteism. The paper then applies to concept of caste to understanding power, dentistry, and oral health inequality. The paper concludes by emphasizing that the concept of caste and its relationship to oral health inequality must be understood it if we want to create real social change.