University of Melbourne, Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, the McCaughey Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Glob Health Promot. 2012 Mar;19(1):60-3. doi: 10.1177/1757975911429872.
Dental caries is an extremely debilitating disease with lifelong consequences. In most developed countries significant oral health inequalities exist in disadvantaged communities, including refugee and migrant populations. Addressing these inequalities is becoming increasingly challenging as communities become more culturally diverse. An awareness of traditional oral health practices would enable the dental and broader health professions, to understand these differences and consequently better meet the needs of disadvantaged communities. The use of miswak is a common traditional oral hygiene practice used by a number of culturally diverse groups. Further research is required into the use and effectiveness of traditional oral health practices within developed countries. Such practices need to be understood, respected and incorporated within oral health care, policies and practices in order to reduce significant inequalities experienced in our communities. This commentary describes the current literature on miswak, its effectiveness and the implications for promoting oral health.
龋齿是一种极其衰弱的疾病，会带来终身影响。在大多数发达国家，弱势社区（包括难民和移民群体）存在着显著的口腔健康不平等现象。随着社区的文化多样性不断增加，解决这些不平等问题变得越来越具有挑战性。了解传统的口腔保健方法，可以使牙科和更广泛的医疗保健专业人员了解这些差异，从而更好地满足弱势社区的需求。许多文化多样的群体都使用天然植物树枝（miswak）作为一种常见的传统口腔卫生习惯。需要进一步研究发达国家中传统口腔保健方法的使用情况和效果。为了减少我们社区中存在的显著不平等现象，需要理解、尊重并将这些传统口腔保健方法纳入口腔保健政策和实践中。本文述评介绍了有关天然植物树枝的现有文献，包括其效果以及对促进口腔健康的影响。
