Review of Indigenous oral health

Indigenous Australians have poorer oral health than other Australians. Indigenous people suffer from more caries, periodontal diseases, and tooth loss than non-Indigenous people. Tooth decay among the Indigenous population more commonly goes untreated, leading to more extractions. This discrepancy is attributed in part to the fact that access to culturally appropriate and timely dental care is often not available to Indigenous people, especially in rural and remote areas. Other information on oral health such as culturally appropriate resources about maintaining healthy teeth and mouths, and nutritional guidance on how much sugar is contained in certain foods and drinks, is also less available for the Indigenous Australian population. If Indigenous oral health is to be ameliorated, access to dental care must be improved, and an integrated holistic approach to oral health, which includes preventative measures, needs to be established. Authors: Scott Williams, Lisa Jamieson, Andrea MacRae and Caitlin Gray Image: k-girl / flick