Book launched to tackle poor oral health amongst Maori poulation

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A new book has been launched to try and tackle the growing problem of poor health amongst the Maori population.

‘Oranga Waha- Oral Health Research Priorities for Maori’ was launched at the annual conference of Te Ao Marama at the Copthorne Hotel in Waitangi. The book outlines a research agenda to try and find the best ways to improve standards of oral health amongst the Maori population; the book was funded by the Ministry of Health and the Health Research Council of New Zealand.

Co-author Bridget Robson, from the University of Otago, said that the book was an important step forward in the effort to tackle the problem of poor health in the Maori community. Robson said that the authors did not know how bad the situation was until they started to conduct research for the book; some people had not visited a dentist in several years and others told of how they resorted to dramatic methods to try and reduce the pain caused by decay and gum disease.

Robson also said that the issue of tackling poor oral health was vital, as numerous research studies have confirmed a strong link between poor oral health and poor general health. Studies carried out across the world have linked poor oral health to an increased risk of serious, life-threatening illnesses including diabetes, heart disease and strokes.

New Zealand has poor standards of oral health in comparison to other developed countries, despite massive investment in oral health services in the last few years. According to Robson, there is a significant gap between rich and poorer areas, with people in poorer areas finding it very difficult to access affordable dental treatment.

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