This narrative review examines the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on pediatric oral health, highlighting disparities in dental caries prevalence and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among children from different socioeconomic backgrounds. The review, conducted through extensive literature searches in PubMed, Google Scholar, and the chat.consenus.app plugin, synthesizes findings from studies published up to December 2023. Key findings include: 1. **Association Between Lower SES and Adverse Oral Health Outcomes**: Lower SES is consistently associated with higher rates of dental caries and poorer OHRQoL. Factors such as parental education, household income, food security, and neighborhood conditions play significant roles. 2. **Life-Course Perspective**: Early-life socioeconomic disadvantages can have long-lasting effects on oral health, emphasizing the need for early interventions. 3. **Role of School-Based Education Programs**: School-based oral health education programs are effective in improving children's oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices, suggesting the importance of integrating oral health education into school curricula. 4. **Interplay Between Mental Health, SES, and Oral Health**: Mental health, parental mental health, and SES are interconnected, with poor mental health and lower SES contributing to poorer oral health outcomes. 5. **Socioeconomic Factors and Dental Caries**: Lower SES is linked to higher rates of dental caries, influenced by factors such as parental education, food security, and neighborhood conditions. 6. **Neighborhood and Community Factors**: Neighborhood safety, social support, and community resources significantly impact children's oral health outcomes, highlighting the need for community-focused interventions. 7. **Food Security**: Food insecurity is strongly associated with higher caries prevalence, underscoring the importance of ensuring food security to improve pediatric oral health. 8. **Life-Course Socioeconomic Disadvantage**: Early-life socioeconomic disadvantages can lead to tooth loss and poor self-rated oral health in later life, emphasizing the need for continuous interventions across different life stages. The review calls for a multifaceted approach to address pediatric oral health disparities, including targeted interventions and policy initiatives aimed at reducing socioeconomic inequalities. By focusing on these underlying factors, equitable access to oral health care and improved overall well-being can be achieved for children across different socioeconomic backgrounds.This narrative review examines the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on pediatric oral health, highlighting disparities in dental caries prevalence and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among children from different socioeconomic backgrounds. The review, conducted through extensive literature searches in PubMed, Google Scholar, and the chat.consenus.app plugin, synthesizes findings from studies published up to December 2023. Key findings include: 1. **Association Between Lower SES and Adverse Oral Health Outcomes**: Lower SES is consistently associated with higher rates of dental caries and poorer OHRQoL. Factors such as parental education, household income, food security, and neighborhood conditions play significant roles. 2. **Life-Course Perspective**: Early-life socioeconomic disadvantages can have long-lasting effects on oral health, emphasizing the need for early interventions. 3. **Role of School-Based Education Programs**: School-based oral health education programs are effective in improving children's oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices, suggesting the importance of integrating oral health education into school curricula. 4. **Interplay Between Mental Health, SES, and Oral Health**: Mental health, parental mental health, and SES are interconnected, with poor mental health and lower SES contributing to poorer oral health outcomes. 5. **Socioeconomic Factors and Dental Caries**: Lower SES is linked to higher rates of dental caries, influenced by factors such as parental education, food security, and neighborhood conditions. 6. **Neighborhood and Community Factors**: Neighborhood safety, social support, and community resources significantly impact children's oral health outcomes, highlighting the need for community-focused interventions. 7. **Food Security**: Food insecurity is strongly associated with higher caries prevalence, underscoring the importance of ensuring food security to improve pediatric oral health. 8. **Life-Course Socioeconomic Disadvantage**: Early-life socioeconomic disadvantages can lead to tooth loss and poor self-rated oral health in later life, emphasizing the need for continuous interventions across different life stages. The review calls for a multifaceted approach to address pediatric oral health disparities, including targeted interventions and policy initiatives aimed at reducing socioeconomic inequalities. By focusing on these underlying factors, equitable access to oral health care and improved overall well-being can be achieved for children across different socioeconomic backgrounds.