Thesis (M.A.)--Pacific Lutheran University, 1997. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of the dental hygiene program of the elementary schools of Dallas, Texas, in creating interest, lending knowledge, and promoting habits of proper care of the teeth.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Dentistry / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

The goal of this study was to review Maori oral health services utilising a kaupapa Maori framework. The aims of the study were to identify the issues in the development, implementation and operation of Maori dental health services within each of the three types of Maori health providers (mainstream, iwi-based, partnership). The three Maori oral health services are: (i) Te Whare Kaitiaki, University of Otago Dental School, Dunedin. (ii) Te atiawa Dental Service, New Plymouth. (iii) Tipu Ora Dental Service, in partnership with the School Dental Service, Lakeland Health, Rotorua. Method: A literature review of kaupapa Maori research was undertaken to provide the Maori framework under which this study was conducted. The kaupapa Maori methodology utilised the following criteria: (i) Rangatiratanga: The assertion of Maori leadership; (ii) Whakakotahitanga: A holistic approach incorporating Te Whare Tapa Wha; (iii) Whakapapa: The origins and development of oranga niho; (iv) Whakawhanuitanga: Recognising and catering for the diverse needs of Maori; (iv) Whanaungatanga: Culturally appropriate forms of relationship management; (v) Maramatanga: Raising Maori awareness, health promotion and education; and (vi) Whakapakiri: Recognising the need to the build capacity of Maori health providers. Ethical approval was granted by the Otago, Bay of Plenty and Taranaki Ethics Committees to undertake interviews and focus groups with Maori oral health providers in Dunedin, Rotorua and New Plymouth. Information was also sought from advisors and policy analysts within the Ministry of Health. A valuable source of information was hui korero (speeches and/or discussion at Maori conferences). An extensive literature was undertaken including an historical search of material from private archives and the now defunct Maori Health Commission. Results: An appropriate kaupapa Maori methodology was developed which provided a Maori framework to collate, describe, organise and present the information on Maori oral health. In te ao tawhito (the pre-European world of the Maori) there was very little if any dental decay. In te ao hou (the contemporary world of the Maori) Maori do not enjoy the same oral health status as non-Maori across all age groups. The reasons for this health disparity are multifactorial but include the social determinants of health, life style factors and the under-utilisation of health services. In order to address the disparities in Maori oral health, Maori providers have been very eager to establish kaupapa Maori oral health services. The barriers to the development, implementation, and operation of a kaupapa Maori oral health service are many and varied and include access to funding, and racism. Maori health providers have overcome the barriers through two strategies: firstly, the establishment of relationships within both the health sector and the Maori community; and secondly, through their passion and commitment to oranga niho mo te iwi Maori (oral health for all Maori). The outcome of this review will contribute to Maori health gain through the recognition of appropriate models and strategies which can be utilised for the future advancement of Maori oral health services, and hence to an improvement in Maori oral health status. Conclusion: This review of Maori oral health services has found that there are oral health disparities between Maori and non-Maori New Zealanders. In an effort to overcome these disparities Maori have sought to provide kaupapa Maori oral health services. Whilst there is a diversity in the provision of Maori oral health services, kaupapa Maori services have been developed that are appropriate, effective, accessible and affordable. They must have the opportunity to flourish.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Michigan, 1979. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 298-309).

Early childhood caries is a condition of rapidly progressing rampant dental caries in infants and young children. It is considered as a major public health problem affecting pre-school children and it is the most common dental disease which affects 28% of children within two to five years of age. ECC not only induces pain and discomfort, but can also affect communication, nutrition status, learning abilities, speech and quality of life, which may progress into adulthood and pose a heavy burden on the healthcare system in long-term. In Hong Kong, over 50% of children were affected by dental caries in 2001 but over 70% of children had never been to a dentist for a regular check up at age five. Thus, much of the tooth decay was remained undetected and untreated. Dental caries can be preventable and achievable. Collaboration between families, early care and health care professionals is required to promote effective oral health care. Numerous studies have found that educational programs and workshops are effective in promoting oral health and can provide children a lifelong opportunity to be free from preventable oral disease. In order to promote oral health to achieve the mission of the Department of Health in Hong Kong- at least 65% of 5 years old children are free from caries by the year 2020, an evidence-based guideline for a community-based programme in oral health education was developed in the proposed setting after a critical appraisal of the reviewed evidence. The comprehensive intervention plan, including communication plan with stakeholders, training of staffs and pilot testing will be carried out to facilitate the implementation of the innovation. The oral health programme will be evaluated for its effectiveness in achieving the patient outcomes, health providers’ outcomes and system outcomes in the proposed settings. / published_or_final_version / Nursing Studies / Master / Master of Nursing

BACKGROUND: Researchers in the fields of health, education and psychology have established a causal relationship between levels of education and both health status and its management amongst adults and children. This has resulted in largescale ‘health literacy’ intervention programmes. The relationship between oral health literacy (OHL), health status and management is less understood. Indeed, ‘OHL’ is a relatively new field with limited research to date in Asia. Measurements of OHL on the whole have focused on the match or mismatch between reading fluency, vocabulary, background knowledge, and oral and written communication demands. While it may be difficult or impractical to comprehensively capture and measure all possible dimensions of OHL, several instruments have been developed to date, albeit mostly in English dominant contexts. OBJECTIVES: The major objectives of this study were to: a) to describe the relationship between caregiver reading habits and their OHL, and their child’s oral health status; b) assess the functional OHL levels of primary caregivers in an Asian population using two new instruments; c) to describe the relationship between caregiver OHL and the oral health status of their children. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using two locally-developed and validated OHL instruments; Hong Kong Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry-30 (HKREALD-30) and Hong Kong OHL Assessment Task for Paediatric Dentistry (HKOHLAT-P) was adopted. A random sample of 301 child/caregiver dyads was recruited from kindergartens in Hong Kong Island. Data included: socio-demographic information; caregivers’ self-reported reading habits and OHL levels; and child oral health status as a) dental caries experience - number of decayed, missing and filled teeth (dmft); and b) oral hygiene status - by the Visible Plaque Index (VPI). RESULTS: Caregivers’ reported reading of print Chinese was significantly associated with their OHL scores: HKREALD-30 and HKOHLAT-P (p<0.01). No associations were found between caregiver’s reading habits and their children’s oral health status (p>0.05). Both OHL assessment tasks were associated with children’s oral health status. Both HKOHLAT-P and HKREALD-30 remained associated with dmft in the adjusted negative binomial regression models (accounting for socio-demographics), but HKOHLAT-P had a stronger association (IRR 0.97, P=0.02 versus 0.96, P=0.03). HKOHLAT-P was associated with VPI in the adjusted model (IRR 0.90, P<0.05), but no significant association between HKREALD-30 and VPI was evident. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Caregivers’ habits of reading print and digital texts were significantly associated with their OHL scores. No significant associations were found between caregivers’ reading habits and their children’s oral health status, indicating that reading habits is a different attribute that may not directly affect their child’s oral health. Caregivers’ functional OHL was associated with their children’s oral health status in Hong Kong. A comprehension task tool (HKOHLAT-P) was more robust in determining such associations when compared to a simple word recognition based test (HKREALD-30). / published_or_final_version / Dentistry / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

In the postwar period Swedish communities have become more multicultural. Although there are about 120,000 Finnish immigrant children below the age of 18 in Sweden, knowledge about their dental health is rather sparse. Dental health and related factors were studied in Finnish immigrant children aged 5,8 and 14 years, living in the city of Luleå, northern Sweden. The effect of early dental health education to parents at the Child Health Centres was studied in one age group in Luleå and in one in the municipality of Botkyrka, Stockholm county. All groups of Finnish children were compared to Swedish children matched for age, sex and social class. At the age of 5 the prevalence of dental caries was higher than in Swedish control children. At the age of 8, this difference persisted, but was less pronounced in the permanent than in the primary dentition. The net mean caries increment between 5 and 8 years of age was 11.2 in the Finnish group compared to 7.4 in the Swedish. The proportion of children selected for individual prophylaxis and the time used between age 5 and 8 did not differ between the Finnish and the Swedish groups. In the Finnish teenagers, the prevalence of dental caries was higher than in the Swedish teenagers. Periodontal health was equally good in all age groups of Finnish and Swedish children. The difference in caries prevalence between the two groups was mainly explained by a more frequent between-meal eating and a higher intake of sucrose-containing products between meals in the Finnish children. Even though they had been included in organized dental care with individual prophylaxis, this was obviously not enough to guarantee them as good a dental health as in the Swedish children. Flourides were used to an equal extent in the Finnish and Swedish groups. Toothbrushing was less frequent in all Finnish age groups than in the Swedish controls. The Finnish parents were less convinced than the Swedish about their ability to influence the child’s dental health, and more Finnish than Swedish parents also found it necessary to visit a dentist only when they had toothache. The Finnish teenagers who had received almost twice as many hours of individual prophylaxis as the Swedish, knew less about the etiology of dental caries but equally much about the etiology of gingivitis. The best result of early dental health education to parents, evaluated by comparing prevalence of dental caries of the children at the age of 3, was obtained when information was given three times in Finnish. If information in the mother tongue cannot be offered, an extra session of information in Swedish can also benefit the dental health of the child. / <p>S. 1-42: sammanfattning, s. 43-115: 5 uppsatser</p> / digitalisering@umu

Thesis (M.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1945.

Thesis (M.S.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1940.