Ethnicity and Oral Health Flashcards
What is ethnicity?
The fact or state of belonging to a social group which has a common national or cultural tradition
What is race?
Race refers to physical / biological traits e.g. skin colour
What is a minority?
A racial, ethnic, religious or any similar group which exists within a society in small numbers as compared to the total membership of the society
What is discrimination?
Unequal treatment of people based on the fact they belong to a certain group
Why is ethnicity an important public health issue?
Ethnic minorities tend to settle in areas of socio-economic deprivation which has a well established association with poor oral health
How can culture influence an individual’s oral health?
Certain beliefs or practices common to people in that group may influence their oral health status
From what 2 reasons does oral health vary according to ethnicity?
- Actual dental disease
2. Uptake of services
Name 3 reasons why uptake of services may be reduced in ethnic minorities
- Cost
- Language barriers
- Culture
What are 2 forms of interpreting service?
- Telephone
2. Face to face
What is interpreting?
Transfer of spoken word from one language into another
What is translation?
Transfer of written word from one language into another
What is sight translation?
The interpreter gives an oral translation of a text
Name 3 reasons for a dental professional using interpreters
- Ethical
- Business
- Legal
What is the ethical scenario of a dentist not offering interpretation services?
- Significant proportion of ethnic population may not have access to same services (impacts equality)
- Misdiagnosis or misunderstanding could aggravate an illness
What is the business scenario of a dentist not offering interpretation services?
- Communication barrier prolong appointments
- Patients return more often as initial presenting complaint is not understood
