## 4 Discussion
More specifically, young age was proven to be a determinant of poor dental health status (in our study). An increased acceptance of dental health practices of the host country among younger migrant populations compared to their older counterparts has been reported [15]. Adolescents generally demonstrate higher uptake of regular brushing as a preventative measure against dental care visits [39]. In terms of gender, migrant women visited dental health providers more frequently compared to their male counterparts, a finding supported by other studies [38]. It seems that gender plays an important role in the perception of general and oral health, dental visits and daily tooth brushing frequency, as well as in the choice of toothbrush and toothpaste. Female migrants, in comparison to males, take significantly better care of their oral health [40]. Our study also showed that female migrants were more likely to brush their teeth daily compared to male migrants. Furthermore, this study reveals that the level of education is another determinant of dental health and may be explained by the previously identified economic and cultural barriers of language and affordability that affect oral healthcare access. Migrants in our study with significantly higher educational levels brushed their teeth every day and were more informed on oral health hygiene issues, as mentioned elsewhere [41]. Permission status in the host country also affects immigrants' perception of dental health status in our study. Those who were legally permitted to stay in the country had a better overview of the dental services access and were more satisfied with their oral health status than those who had no permission in the host country [42]. General and mental health status also affected self-perception of having good teeth. Those who brushed their teeth every day reported significantly better general and mental health and vice versa, a finding confirmed by the literature [43; 44]. Parental status was further expressed as a predictor of oral health perception. The results of our study show that childless adults have a higher perception of their dental health compared with those who had children. The literature provides mixed findings about this phenomenon. Some researchers argue that immigrant parents engage in healthy dental practices to maintain their and their children's dental health, while others argue that parental acculturation is unrelated to their child's dmft/DMFT level [45; 46]. Finally, feeling discriminated negatively affected self-perceived good oral health in our study, as confirmed elsewhere [37; 47; 48]. Migrants who had never visited the dentist reported higher odds of having good dental conditions, compared with migrants who had visited the dentist <1 year ago or had visited the dentist >1 year ago. This is an expected outcome, given that those who have never visited the dentist may have never needed treatment. Migrants with the perception that one has the chance of visiting a dentist when needed augmented self-rated oral health status and the perception of having good teeth in our study. Access to dental services is usually limited, especially for undocumented migrants who also report lower oral health status in other studies [49]. These disparities in dental health outcomes and access within the migrant population are an urgent concern for the public health community, specifically the European public health community, due to its self-ascribed priorities. As part of Health 21, the World Health Organization's EU-focused policy framework to carry out its \"health-for-all policy for the twenty-first century\" platform, oral health care is prioritized for its impact on quality of life, disease prevention, and maintenance of good health, alongside its ease of prevention. In fact, the WHO notes that oral healthcare is the singular area of public health where \"such a major problem can be so easily prevented through very simple methods\" [50]. However, oral health services have become marked by a growing dental health divide.