'Chewing over' public understanding of oral health link to well-being
Published on 31 March, 2009
CQUniversity researchers Dr Markus Themessl-Huber and Dr Joella Storey will discuss results of a survey indicating how well people understand the relationship between oral and general health.
They will discuss ramifications of 'Public knowledge of the link between oral and overall health' during a free presentation at Rockhampton Campus (Bldg 33/G.14), from 1pm-2pm on Friday, April 3, as part of the current Institute for Health and Social Science Research (IHSSR) seminar series.
"Oral ill health is ubiquitous among the Australian adult population," Dr Themessl-Huber said.
"It is one of the most frequently reported health concerns and costs the Australian economy $2 billion per year. Yet, public knowledge about oral health prevention, symptoms, and diseases is low.
"This lack of knowledge is all the more problematic as a well-established evidence base emphasises the severe repercussions oral health problems can have for an individual's overall health, quality of life, health care utilisation, and social as well as economic opportunities.
"In particular, oral ill health has been linked directly to cardiovascular disease, respiratory diseases, cancer, premature birth, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, osteoporosis, sleeping problems, and behavioural and development problems in children."
Dr Themessl-Huber said that acknowledging the relationship between oral and general health is a prerequisite to recognising that barriers to oral health are also barriers to general health.
"Understanding and promoting awareness of the relationship between oral and overall health would also represent a substantial step towards more holistic care and needs to become part of all health professionals' remit.
"One basic requirement for understanding and promoting oral health is to have knowledge about the consequences of oral ill-health on overall health.
"To date, however, very little evidence is available on the extent of the general adult population's knowledge about this link. This talk will report survey outcomes on the current level of knowledge about the relationship between oral and general health in a representative, cross-sectional sample of the general adult public."