Community trial of silver fluoride treatment for deciduous dentition caries in remote Indigenous communities.

Background: Silver fluoride 40% followed by 10% stannous fluoride (AgF) has been used in dental practice in some parts of Australia for many years. This study compared the effectiveness of application of AgF with atraumatic restorative technique (ART) in managing cavitated carious primary molars.

Methods: The study was a community effectiveness trial in two remote Aboriginal communities where AgF has been used for some time.

Prevalence, extent and severity of severe periodontal destruction in an urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population.

Background: The aim of this study was to document the three main indicators of severe periodontal destruction and to evaluate factors associated with those indicators in an urban Indigenous population in Australia.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of a convenience sample of Aboriginal adults from an Australian urban area was undertaken. Socio-demographic data and smoking status were collected by interview and health status by a medical record audit.

The Bila Muuji oral health promotion partnership.

In western NSW in 2006, a group of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations identified oral health as a priority need in their regions, considering the lack of regular dental services, poor access to oral health information, and high dental disease rates. A regional oral health promotion program was developed and implemented under the guidance of a regional coordinator who supports local staff in oral health promotion activities such as school-based toothbrushing and the provision of oral health information to targeted groups (e.g.

Blood-borne virus-related discrimination in dental services.

While the risk of infection through occupational exposure to blood-borne viruses is a major concern of dental health care workers, the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and many health, AIDS and discrimination-related agencies have identified discrimination related to HIV/AIDS as a priority area for action. In 1995 the Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services selected the School of Medical Education at the University of New South Wales to conduct a national project to reduce discrimination related to blood-borne viruses within dental services (Godwin, Meihubers & Rotem 1997). This paper provides an overview of the study and its major findings.