February 08, 2024
Bright smiles from hauora-dentistry link up
A retired Māori professor of dentistry says the best way to tackle worsening oral health statistics is for Māori oral providers to partner with Māori community health organisations.
Otago University Emeritus Professor, John Renata Broughton, says a multi-year international study – which included 200 young Māori mums from the Waikato region – found regular contact with community health and oral providers resulted in better oral health for their growing tamariki.
“At the end of the study we found that of all tamariki in this study, not one child, not one tamariki was admitted to hospital to have a tooth extracted. Not one child had lost a tooth,” he says.
Professor Broughton says tooth decay among the study group was so low it was virtually insignificant – and he puts that down to regular affordable contact with health professionals who were able to convince the mothers of the need for good oral health care.