Language barriers are a challenge in an oral health setting, especially if the individual also has low oral health literacy. For new immigrants to Canada, oral health information can be difficult to access and understand, especially for those who do not speak English fluently. As dental professionals, it is important to understand that this population may face challenges with oral health due to the ethnic or cultural differences as well as language barriers and health literacy issues.

In my second year community practice, my group was placed at the Immigrant Services Society at the English as a second language program for adults in Vancouver. Our goal was to help the individuals at ISS increase their oral health knowledge and vocabulary, as well as teach the students some oral self-care techniques. In addition, we wanted to help increase access to dental services for these newly immigrated individuals by providing information on booking appointments, where to find low-cost dental clinics, and how to communicate their needs with dental professionals.

A few members of the 2014 dental hygiene class joined the DMD students for a volunteer project at the Vancouver Native Health Society early this year. We helped the DMD students distribute oral self-care kits and demonstrate oral self-care techniques to 40 Aboriginal women who had experienced abuse and who met together on a weekly basis. This experience was eye-opening as the women shared first hand experiences of mistreatment by dentists and expressed their lack of trust of dental professionals. Many of the women have not sought dental treatment since these negative experiences. However, despite this, the women were very interested in increasing their knowledge on oral health. Some of the women expressed that they did not want their children and grandchildren to experience the oral health issues they have faced. The women were patient and open to our advice and suggestions, and were grateful for the time we spent with them. It was a wonderful opportunity to apply the knowledge we have gained about oral health as well as the social factors involved with populations with unique needs – such as women, Aboriginals, and individuals who have been abused. We were able to provide toothbrushes, floss, and other oral self-care items along with the knowledge on how to properly use them in the hopes that increasing their oral health knowledge would foster confidence in themselves and in dental professionals. As important figures in their families and community, I hope these women will also be able to share this information with others and continue to increase oral health awareness in this population.

Separately, oral health and nutrition are two topics extremely important to the overall health of an individual. However, the relationship between the two is not commonly considered.

At Broadway Pentecostal Lodge, we found that although they have a wonderful dietician who manages the nutrition of the elders, it would be important to address the bidirectional relationship of oral health and nutrition for the elders. Suji, my floor partner, and I created a table clinic based on this topic in the hopes that the registered nurses, care aides, and others involved in the care of elders would be able to prevent deficiencies in nutrition caused by oral health problems, gain more education on the affect nutrition has on oral health, and also learn the importance of oral self-care.