Ethics Flashcards
Discuss the explanations that have been put forward for this.
High proportion of Muslims and Asians brush daily, however there is a marked decline in number who use toothpaste in comparison to white ethnicity - this is for religious reasons.
Socio-economic status, religion, fluency and language are all risk factors.
The second generation of ethnic minority’s are influenced by the attitude of their elders.
This may be a lack of understanding of the importance of oral hygiene and diet. There have been reports of alternative teeth cleaning methods.
It is also due to the attitude towards the dentist. Ethnic minorities tend to visit the dentist to solve problems, not for prevention/check ups.
There is also a high level of fear and mistrust towards the dentist, perhaps caused by a language barrier.
Briefly outlines the observed differences in levels of dentinal caries for children of different ethnic minority groups in the UK.
Asian (Indian, Pakistan, Bangladeshi) - Primary dentinal caries in Asian children higher than white ethnicity.
Significantly lower proportion of Asian children had good to fair oral cleanliness score.
Vietnamese and Chinese - higher levels of dental caries in primary teeth than white counterparts.
No significant difference in oral cleanliness.
Black (black Caribbean and black African) - no significant difference between primary or permanent dentition either relating to caries or oral cleanliness.
What types or oral health intervention and care might be particularly appropriate to address this?
The second generation are pivotal as their attitudes will be passed on to the next generation - we should therefore try and influence this groups attitude rather than provide information - their influence on the beliefs and practices of the next generation is crucial - dental health education should be targeted to this group.
There is a strong need to overall provide ethnic groups with clear, appropriate and culturally sensitive dental health information.
In a study in Glasgow, it was found to be lack of knowledge rather than negative attitudes which lay behind the inequalities.
Through persistently trying to raise awareness of the importance of good oral hygiene and diet the general attitudes of ethnic minorities can be changed - Community Dental Services should play an important role in this.
