Experience matters when it comes to dental health

Visiting a dentist can at times seem like a daunting experience for most people but what does it look like from a GLBTIQ (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer) perspective and why is it important to discuss it?

That’s one of the topics that will take centre stage this Friday, May 6 at the third annual national Public Oral Health Innovations Conference.

Other topics that will be explored include using music and dance in connecting with indigenous communities, tooth-brushing in primary school breakfast clubs and new ways of extending the reach to communities that need it the most.

Dental Health Services Victoria’s Chief Executive Office Dr Deborah Cole said the program also includes a ‘Marketplace of Innovation’, where local and interstate presenters will showcase innovative public oral health practices that are transforming how we extend our reach and implement new models of care.

“It’s 2016 and you can still tell the health of someone’s bank account by the state of their teeth. Poor oral health continues to be a key marker of social disparity in Australia and that’s not ok. Every day children as young as 15 months are having multiple teeth extracted under general anaesthetic and adults are waking to a day fraught with the pain and social stigma associated with dental disease,” she said.

“We will hear about how we can better care for people with disabilities, people with mental health issues, people living in aged care facilities, Indigenous and refugee communities and our gay, bisexual, lesbian, transgender and intersex clients. We are interested and committed to new ways of thinking about oral health.

If we continue to approach oral health the way we always have, we will continue to report dire rates of dental decay. It is time to implement real, meaningful change. We need to integrate oral health into general health management and implement new models of care that focus on interventions and treatments proven to work.”

Media are invited to attend the Conference from 9am at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre this Friday, May 6.

For more information or interviews with Dr Cole contact DHSV Media and Community Relations Manager, Suzana Talevski, on 0407 961 413