Title: Healthy Teeth, Healthy Lives: Inuit Oral Health Action Plan 2013
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Description:

Executive Summary

The 2008-2009 Inuit Oral Health Survey highlighted the

need for urgent and comprehensive measures to overcome

the unacceptably high rate of oral disease that is two to

three times that of the rest of Canada.

These survey results demand a focused approach to improving

the oral health of Inuit: raising awareness of the importance

of oral health and its link to overall good health; building

partnerships between all levels of government; engaging

dental training institutions and organizations in finding

creative solutions to service delivery and skill shortages

amongst Inuit; and, in general, ensuring that Inuit of all

ages, receive quality, timely and culturally safe dental care,

both in treatment and prevention.

Currently access to regular dental care is not consistent;

treatment is often not timely; and there is not sufficient access

to prevention. Inadequate funding arrangements and

jurisdictional issues, lack of leadership at all levels, lack of

access to services, limited emphasis on prevention, poornutrition,

and difficulty in recruiting and retaining oral

health service providers mean ongoing challenges in achieving

an acceptable oral health standard for Inuit.

A multi-faceted approach for the stabilization of current

disease levels and prevention of further diseases will require

the active engagement of Inuit in the development of

sustainable solutions. This Action Plan outlines initiatives

that will begin to address the oral health disparity. It is

described through five goals, eight areas for action, and

39 recommended initiatives.
Reference (Biomedical Style):
Healthy Teeth, Healthy Lives: Inuit Oral Health Action Plan 2013. 2013.