Developing an Integrated Policy Framework for Oral Health System Improvement in Iran: A Participatory Approach and Systems Analysis

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Ph.d. Student of Futures Studies, Faculty of Public Administration and Organizational Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 Associate Professor of Futures Studies, Faculty of Public Administration and Organizational Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

3 Assistant Proffessor of Social Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

4 Associate Professor of Biophysics, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

5 Associate Professor of Public Administration, Faculty of Public Administration and Organizational Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

10.22059/jppolicy.2026.107827

Abstract

Iran's oral health system faces fundamental challenges, including fragmented governance, disproportionate workforce distribution, and high out-of-pocket payments. This reality reveals the necessity for fundamental rethinking of the system's architecture. The present study aims to develop an integrated policy framework for Iran's oral health system by synthesizing the idealized design approach with the World Health Organization's six building blocks as the foundation of the oral health system. The findings revealed an integrated framework grounded in six strategic principles and encompassing operational components in the domains of governance, multi-tiered workforce, prevention-oriented services, blended financing, technology, and information. Additionally, system dynamics analysis identified three critical feedback loops describing mechanisms of continuous improvement, equity balance, and systemic learning. Ultimately, this framework, by providing a phased roadmap for health system transformation in Iran, demonstrates that fundamental transformation is both necessary and feasible through an integrated approach.

Keywords

References

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Iranian Journal of Public Policy
Volume 12, Issue 2
June 2026
Pages 220-245

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