CDA Essentials 2018 • Volume 5 • Issue 5

27 Issue 5 | 2018 | I ssues and P eople an environment that makes healthy food choices possible… (e.g., when soft drinks are cheaper than bottled water and tap water is frequently under drinking water advisories or is nonexistent).” 3. Community-engaged oral health service delivery is needed. The need for oral health services in southern Labrador is undisputed, but the study authors question the culture of health service delivery. “One of our findings was that the way services were provided in the past were somewhat authoritarian and paternalistic,” explains Dr. Martin. In the past, when dentists travelled to the region sporadically, only people with dental emergencies were able to see the dentist. Improvements in service delivery over the last decade mean that most communities can access a dental clinic when a dentist and hygienist visit for 3–4 days on a 4–6 week rotation. But community members note that they have little opportunity to interact with their dental provider and develop a relationship of trust. They suggest that having a dental hygienist or dental health promoter located within southern Labrador would be able to better address needs by learning more about the communities, getting better acquainted with patients, and improving the relationship between dental care providers and patients. The fact that Indigenous children have greater rates of early childhood caries than the rest of the Canadian population—a problem so dire it has been identified as a public health crisis—has focused attention on what can be done to address the oral health disparities. Dr. Martin says that studies like theirs show that recommendations for improvement need to consider both the local circumstances and culture of the communities. “Acknowledging that the people who are being serviced come from a distinct culture such as the diversity we see across Canada with Indigenous peoples—you can’t ignore that culture and diversity. That’s probably one of the key things that really needs to be recognized and embedded in oral health care practice and in oral health care education.” a References 1.MartinD,McNallyM,CastledenH,Worden-Driscoll I,ClarkeMetal.Linking InuitKnowledgeandPublicHealthfor ImprovedChildandYouthOralHealth in NunatuKavut. JDR Clin Trans Res. 2018;3(3):256-63. 2.Martin,D,Skidmore,J,McNally,M,Clarke,M,Paul,M.KnowingYouKnowingMe:A MessagetoHealthProfessionalsfromtheYouthofNunatukavut.2014; https://vimeo. com/122514165 “Data tells one story, but there are often many other stories within the community that give context and understanding to the data.” – Dr. Mary McNally The youth of NunatuKavut created a video 2 where they share their insights on what it’s like to live in a remote area and what they’d like oral health professionals to know about their community. https://vimeo.com/122514165 For more information about the three-year research study on the oral health of children in southern Labrador, visit the Kungatsiajuk (Health Smiles) website. kungatsiajuk.ca