Grey Literature and Statistics for Dentistry

Indigenous Dental Association of Canada (2024). Founded by Dr. Sheri McKinstry and Mrs. Natasha Newman in 2021, IDAC's vision is committed to providing an inclusive, positive and respectful community for Indigenous oral health professionals, students and community members. We invite the Canadian dental community to join us on our reconciliation journey as we move forward in a good way.  This portal provides resources for communities and providers to share and disseminate knowledge. 

Statistics Canada (2022). Table 3: Last dental visit and avoidance due to cost, Canadians aged 12 years and older, by population group, Canada, excluding the territories: Canadian Community Health Survey (February to December 2022). 

Farmer J, Singhal S, Ghoneim A, Proaño D, Moharrami M, Kaura K, McIntyre J, Quiñonez C. Environmental scan of publicly financed dental care in Canada: 2022 update. Toronto, ON: Dental Public Health, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto. 

Health Canada (2011). Inuit Oral Health Survey Report 2008-2009. Ottawa, Ontario: Health Canada; 2011. Provides the results of the Oral Health Survey of Inuit conducted by the Office of the Chief Dental Officer of Canada in conjunction with the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the Government of Nunatsiavut, Department of Health and Social Development (Newfoundland and Labrador); Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (Nunavut); and the Inuvialuit Region Corporation (Northwest Territories). It provides estimates of the burden of oral health conditions as of 2008-2009 across all areas of Canada's north, except Nunavik.

The First Nations Information Governance Centre (2012). Report on the Findings of the First Nations Oral Health Survey (FNOHS) 2009-10. The data collected through this survey is owned and controlled by First Nations and is compliant with the First Nations Principles of OCAP (Ownership, Control, Access and Possession). This project was developed in collaboration through a Memorandum of Understanding with the Office of the Chief Dental Office of Health Canada. The FNOHS took advantage of the opportunities and built upon the First Nations Regional Health Survey (RHS) infrastructure and processes to conduct the survey

Statistics Canada, 2023, "Canadian Health Measures Survey, Cycle 1 – Oral Health: Public Use Microdata File, 2007-2009", https://hdl.handle.net/11272.1/AB2/2WWUDP, Abacus Data Network, V2, UNF:6:MsY1vkUnU73OPQOr7PwRRA== [fileUNF]

Health Canada (2017). 2017 Fall Reports of the Auditor General of Canada: Report 4:  Oral Health Programs for First Nations and Inuit—Health Canada. The objective of this audit was to determine whether Health Canada had reasonable assurance that it delivered oral health programs to eligible Inuit and First Nations people that helped to maintain and improve their oral health.

For those interested in researching Oral Health of Indigenous populations, below is a list of studies related to the topic as a starting point.

Brown-Walkus, J., Smylie, J., Borkhoff, C. M., Hardy, B. J., Salmon, C., Duncan, F., & Lawrence, H. P. (2023). Defining quality of preventive oral health services in a northern First Nations community: a concept mapping study. Rural Remote Health, 23(4), 7910. doi:10.22605/rrh7910

Cidro, J., Maar, M., Peressini, S., Schroth, R. J., Broughton, J., Jamieson, L., & Lawrence, H. P. (2017). Strategies for Meaningful Engagement between Community-Based Health Researchers and First Nations Participants. Front Public Health, 5, 138. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2017.00138

Farmer, J., Peressini, S., & Lawrence, H. P. (2018). Exploring the role of the dental hygienist in reducing oral health disparities in Canada: A qualitative study. Int J Dent Hyg, 16(2), e1-e9. doi:10.1111/idh.12276

Jamieson, L., Smithers, L., Hedges, J., Parker, E., Mills, H., Kapellas, K., . . . Ju, X. (2018). Dental Disease Outcomes Following a 2-Year Oral Health Promotion Program for Australian Aboriginal Children and Their Families: A 2-Arm Parallel, Single-blind, Randomised Controlled Trial. EClinicalMedicine, 1, 43-50. doi:10.1016/j.eclinm.2018.05.001

Jamieson, L. M., Parker, E. J., Broughton, J., Lawrence, H. P., & Armfield, J. M. (2015). Are Stage of Change constructs relevant for subjective oral health in a vulnerable population? Community Dent Health, 32(2), 111-116.

Jamieson, L. M., Parker, E. J., Roberts-Thomson, K. F., Lawrence, H. P., & Broughton, J. (2014). Self-efficacy and self-rated oral health among pregnant aboriginal Australian women. BMC Oral Health, 14, 29. doi:10.1186/1472-6831-14-29

Jamieson, L. M., Smithers, L. G., Hedges, J., Aldis, J., Mills, H., Kapellas, K., . . . Ju, X. (2019). Follow-up of an Intervention to Reduce Dental Caries in Indigenous Australian Children: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open, 2(3), e190648. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.0648

Kyoon-Achan, G., Schroth, R. J., Sanguins, J., Campbell, R., Demaré, D., Sturym, M., Edwards, J., Bertone, M., Dufour, L., Hai Santiago, K., Chartrand, F., Dhaliwal, T., Patterson, B., Levesque, J., Moffatt, M., & Scaling Up the Healthy Smile Happy Child Team (2021). Early childhood oral health promotion for First Nations and Métis communities and caregivers in Manitoba. Promotion de la santé buccodentaire des jeunes enfants auprès des collectivités et des fournisseurs de soins des Premières Nations et des Métis du Manitoba. Health promotion and chronic disease prevention in Canada : research, policy and practice, 41(1), 14–24. https://doi.org/10.24095/hpcdp.41.1.02

Lawrence, HP (2010). Oral health interventions among Indigenous populations in Canada. International Dental Journal 60: 229-234.

Lee, J., Schroth, R. J., & Lawrence, H. P. (2022). Nishtam Niwiipitan (My First Teeth): Oral Health Digital Stories from Urban Indigenous Parents. JDR clinical and translational research, 23800844221117143. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/2380084422111714

Martin, D., McNally, M., Castleden, H., Worden-Driscoll, I., Clarke, M., Wall, D., & Ley, M. (2018). Linking Inuit Knowledge and Public Health for Improved Child and Youth Oral Health in NunatuKavut. JDR clinical and translational research, 3(3), 256–263.

McKinnon, M. A., Odoh, O., Taylor, P., Charlie, D., Morry, J., Mathu-Muju, K., & Donnelly, L. (2022). Developing a land-based oral health promotion project with an Indigenous community in northern British Columbia, Canada. Canadian journal of dental hygiene : CJDH = Journal canadien de l'hygiene dentaire : JCHD, 56(3), 172–176.'

Mehra, V. M., Ali-Hassan, Y., Tamim, H., & Costanian, C. (2020). Prevalence and Factors Associated with Visiting the Dentist Only for Emergency Care Among Indigenous People in Ontario. Journal of immigrant and minority health, 22(1), 96–101. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-019-00872-y

Ogenchuk, M., St Pierre, R., Uswak, G., Graham, H., Weiler, R., & Ramsden, V. R. (2021). Community led: celebrating wellness with a smile. International journal of circumpolar health, 80(1), 1962023. https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2021.1962023

Schroth RJ, Halchuk S, Star L. Prevalence and risk factors of caregiver reported severe early childhood caries in Manitoba First Nations children: results from the RHS Phase 2 (2008-2010). Int J Circumpolar Health. 2013;72:doi: 10.3402/ijch.v3472i3400.21167.

Shi, C., Faris, P., McNeil, D. A., Patterson, S., Potestio, M. L., Thawer, S., & McLaren, L. (2018). Ethnic disparities in children's oral health: findings from a population-based survey of grade 1 and 2 schoolchildren in Alberta, Canada. BMC oral health, 18(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-017-0444-8

Tiwari, T., Jamieson, L., Broughton, J., Lawrence, H. P., Batliner, T. S., Arantes, R., & Albino, J. (2018). Reducing Indigenous Oral Health Inequalities: A Review from 5 Nations. Journal of dental research, 97(8), 869–877. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022034518763605

Tsai, W. T., & Lawrence, H. P. (2022). Association between psychosocial determinants of adverse childhood experiences and severe early childhood caries among First Nations children. Int J Paediatr Dent, 32(3), 352-366. doi:10.1111/ipd.12891