Improving the Oral Health of Alaska Natives

Abstract

There is a high prevalence of oral disease in the Alaska Native population, much of which goes untreated, creating a large discrepancy between the level of their oral health and that of the general population. The causes of this discrepancy are multiple--a major cause being the lack of access to care, especially in remote Alaska Native villages. Improving the oral health status of Alaska Natives will require treatment of current disease and initiation of an effective program to prevent oral disease. Cooperation between the Alaska Native organizations, dental health aides, the dental profession, and the government will be important. A strategy that combines addressing the disease currently present and preventing the occurrence of disease in the long run is the only strategy that offers a sustainable solution.

Early Childhood Caries in Indigenous Communities

“…Disease prevention is likely to be the most cost-effective alternative and the best long-term solution to oral health problems in these communities. 26 Primary prevention of dental disease not only preserves healthy teeth but also decreases the current tremendous demand for restorative and surgical care. With ECC being a result of the interplay of oral bacteria, substrate, and host as well as family, economic, and social conditions, health-promotion strategies that emphasize community development and address the determinants of health are required along with strategies that focus on disease prevention.…”

“…48 Dental therapists are commonly used in northern communities in some Canadian provinces and territories, and more recently, a dental health aide program has evolved in Alaska. The effective use of appropriate dental health aides is seen by some in the American Dental Association as key to improving the oral health of Alaska Native people, 26 but there is some disagreement on the extent of the roles and scope of practice of the various types of dental health aides.…”

International approaches to Indigenous dental care: what can we learn?

“…[1][2][3] These inequities in oral health are similar for Indigenous peoples around the world. [4][5][6] The reasons underlying these disparities are multifactorial and multigenerational, ranging from the historical loss of culture and identity through to socio-economic and geographical disadvantage impacting through factors such as diet and poorer access to care. 7,8 Oral health interventions, although developed with the best of intentions, have all too often failed Indigenous communities.…”

Relação entre fatores socioeconômicos, clínicos e saúde bucal em escolares da zona rural: um estudo longitudinal

“…As áreas rurais apresentam-se resistentes às suas relações familiares e de solidariedade, todavia, são extremamente frágeis quanto à saúde devido à dificuldade de acesso ao trabalho, aos serviços de saúde e equipamentos públicos 9 . Assim, verifica-se que barreiras geográficas favorecem os problemas bucais, e embora seja constatada uma significante redução da cárie dentária em todo o mundo, tem sido observado um menor impacto dessa ocorrência em populações não urbanas, resultando em uma grande disparidade em saúde 10 . Estudos demonstram alta associação entre variáveis sociais, econômicas e comportamentais e os problemas bucais, principalmente relacionados ao contexto brasileiro [11][12][13] .…”