Developmental regulation of lifelong dental experiences and beliefs in Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to explain through the life-course and life-span perspectives of developmental regulation theory the controls on dental experiences and beliefs throughout the lives of older people in Guangzhou and Hong Kong. BACKGROUND: Dental diseases and disabilities among older people are serious public health concerns in China. METHODS: A facilitator conducted eight focus groups, three in Hong Kong and five in Guangzhou, involving a total of 51 participants. She encouraged discussions about lifetime events to explain dental experiences and beliefs. Transcripts were coded and analysed using a constant comparative approach to identify themes that explained the regulators of dental experiences throughout the participants' lives. RESULTS: Participants explained the influence of culture and history through critical events, and how external and internal factors regulated their current oral health status and beliefs. They emphasised the role of Traditional Chinese Medicine and family, and the stress of social upheaval compounded by a scarcity of dental services. They revealed also how current choice of dental services and health promotional programs, helped by personal food choice, self-reliance, and scepticism, helped them to adjust and cope with dental diseases and disabilities and the commercialisation of dental services. CONCLUSIONS: Dental experiences and beliefs of older people living in Guangzhou and Hong Kong were regulated strongly during personal development by culture and history during critical events, and by various controlling factors, such as health promotion and choice of services supplemented by food choice, nutritional balance, self-reliance, scepticism and social adjustments.

Discussions on oral health care among elderly Chinese immigrants in Melbourne and Vancouver.

BACKGROUND: This study explored how elderly Chinese immigrants value and relate to how acculturation influences oral health and subsequent service use. METHODS: Elders who had immigrated to Melbourne and Vancouver within the previous 15 years were recruited from local community centres and assigned to focus groups of 5-7 participants in Vancouver (4 groups) or Melbourne (5 groups). RESULTS: Following an iterative process of thematic analysis, the discussions revealed that immigrants care about the comfort and appearance of their teeth, and they value Western dentistry as a supplement to traditional remedies, but they have difficulty getting culturally sensitive information about oral health care. Accessing dentistry, they explained, is distressing because of language problems and financial costs that impose on their children. Consequently, many immigrants obtain dental treatment in China when they return for occasional visits. They felt that separation of dentistry from national health care programmes in Canada and Australia disregards natural links between oral health and general health. CONCLUSIONS: The similarity of concerns in both cities suggests that dissemination of information and availability of services are the important themes influencing oral health, and that, beliefs developed over a lifetime play an important role in interpreting oral health in the host country.

Understanding oral health beliefs and practices among Cantonese-speaking older Australians.

AIM: The present study was conducted to explore how older immigrants from Hong Kong or Southern China manage their oral health in Melbourne. METHODS: We used six focus groups involving 50 Cantonese-speaking immigrants who were 55 years and over and living in Melbourne. RESULTS: Four major themes relevant to oral health care emerged from the discussion: (i) traditional Chinese health beliefs; (ii) traditional medicine and oral health; (iii) attitudes towards dentists; and (iv) access to oral health-care services. Language, communication and cost of dentistry were identified as major barriers to oral health care. CONCLUSION: Older Chinese immigrants in Melbourne have concerns about oral health care that are similar to other ethnic groups, they want more oral health-related support from government, and many of they return to China or Hong Kong for dental treatment.

Prevalence of fluorosis in children aged 6-9 years-old who participated in a milk fluoridation programme in Codegua, Chile.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and severity of enamel fluorosis in the permanent dentition of children aged 6-9 years old exposed to fluoride through a milk fluoridation programme in Codegua, Chile. BASIC RESEARCH DESIGN: A survey was conducted in 2002 of a sample of school children living in Codegua (n = 215) and La Punta, the control community (n = 206) to compare enamel fluorosis data with those obtained in 1994. Dean's criteria were followed to assess enamel fluorosis. RESULTS: It was found that 16.4% of the children aged 6-9 years from Codegua had questionable fluorosis in 2002, while in 1999 10.3% were classified in this category. In addition, 7.9% and 1.3% of the children in 2002 and 1994, respectively, had at least very mild fluorosis. These increments were not observed in the control community. Comparison of mean community fluorosis indices (CFI) between the children in 2002 (CFI = 0.18) and those in 1994 (CFI = 0.06) was found to be significant (p < 0.001). For La Punta, no statistically significant results were observed (CFI 0.16 vs. 0.15). CONCLUSIONS: Present results indicate that, although there was an expected increase in the prevalence and severity of enamel fluorosis after four years of fluoride exposure, the CFI for Codegua in 2002 is well below the upper limit of the CFI range associated with a public health concern. Therefore, if the average daily fluoride ingestion was adjusted to more appropriate doses at the time of mineralisation of anterior permanent teeth, this would minimise the increase in the prevalence of enamel fluorosis without loosing the dental caries preventive effect of F.