The Impact of Dental Disease on a sample of Aboriginal adults living in the Central Coast Region of New South Wales Australia

Abstract

Objective: To record the impact of dental disease on the quality of life of Aboriginal* adults. Setting: An Aboriginal dedicated dental clinic in the Central Coast Region of NSW, Australia. Methods: Adult patients attending the clinic were interviewed about the impact of dental disease on their day to day lives. Results: Fifty adults were interviewed of the 61 who attended for care, giving a response rate of 82%. The major impacts were an aching, painful mouth 76%, self conscious about their teeth 62%, embarrassed about their teeth 62%, and diet impacted by poor oral health 64%. Nearly half required the extraction of at least one tooth. Cost was a major barrier for not seeking care for 62% of the participants. Conclusion: Poor oral health impacted on the lives of the Aboriginal respondents, but the offer of free dental care in an Aboriginal dedicated clinic encouraged attendance for treatment, especially amongst women. *In this paper, the term ‘Aboriginal’ is inclusive of both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.