title: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander oral health and its impact among adults: A cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Robust oral health epidemiological information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults is scant. Set within a large urban population, this study describes self-reported oral health behaviours, status and impact assessed through computerized health checks (HC), stratified by age groups and sex, and identifies associations with dental appearance satisfaction.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults (aged ≥20 years) attending the Southern Queensland Centre of Excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2015 who had HC and provided research consent.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 945 patients, 466 (49.3%) female, with an average age of 41.3 years (range, 20-82). Overall, 97.3% owned a toothbrush and 56.2% brushed two or more times/day. Despite self-reporting a significant oral health burden, only 28.8% visited a dentist within 12 months, mostly due to problems (84.3%). Surprisingly, only 28.4% reported dental appearance dissatisfaction, likely a result of community normalization whereby people are resigned to poor oral health.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Under-utilization of dental services remains problematic for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults. To close the oral heath gap, culturally appropriate, acceptable and safe integrated primary health systems, with co-located dental services, demand consideration.
authors.affiliation: University of Canterbury - Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha, School of Health Sciences, Christchurch, New Zealand.|The University of Queensland, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Schluter
authors.affiliation: Southern Queensland Centre of Excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care, Queensland Health, Inala, Queensland, Australia.|The University of Queensland, Discipline of General Practice, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Askew
authors.affiliation: Southern Queensland Centre of Excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care, Queensland Health, Inala, Queensland, Australia.|The University of Queensland, Discipline of General Practice, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Spurling
authors.affiliation: Canterbury District Health Board, Community Dental Service, Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Southern Queensland Centre of Excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care, Queensland Health, Inala, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hayman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003752:Dental Health Services / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D044382:Population Groups; D011793:Queensland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control; D055815:Young Adult; D000095283:Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
keywords: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults; epidemiology; public health dentistry; self-reported oral health; service utilization