Research will help Dundonians to keep smiles on their faces

Stretching back to early efforts made in the mills to improve the health of workers before that was an accepted part of the industry, Dundee has long had a keen interest in the health of its people.

A great example of this is the work done over the years in Dundee University’s community dentistry.

The Dental Health Services Research Unit works with people who experience social exclusion to help them take positive attitudes to their oral health.

The team seeks to understand people’s problems from their perspective to support health improvements.

The Smile4life project is involved with people who are homeless.

Research carried out shows a strong link between poor oral health and experiences of depression. This is often a result of difficult living conditions, barriers to preventative care and visits to dentists, or perhaps as a result of addictions.

Following this research, tools such as a training guide and intervention techniques have been created for staff in the homelessness sector.

The thinking is that if people feel better about how they look, they go on to take better care of themselves and feel able to make positive changes to their lives.

The unit also works in socially deprived areas to encourage parents to take their children for dental checkups.

One such study was funded by the Scottish Government’s Childsmile Programme and aims to give extra support to families to get dental care for their children.

In collaboration with Duncan of Jordanstone, a toolkit was developed which uses various resources to identify challenges and solutions to oral health concerns.

Janice Aitken is a senior lecturer and artist who has worked in Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design since 2003. She teaches in contemporary art practice and is Associate Dean for Quality and Academic Standards.