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Oral Healthcare Challenges for Older Punjabi-Speaking Immigrants*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 May 2014

Michael I. MacEntee ,
Sabrina T. Wong ,
André Smith ,
B. Lynn Beattie ,
Mario Brondani ,
S. Ross Bryant ,
Peter Graf  and
Shimae Soheilipour
Michael I. MacEntee*
Affiliation:
Department of Oral Health Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
Sabrina T. Wong
Affiliation:
School of Nursing and Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
André Smith
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology & Centre on Aging, University of Victoria, British Columbia
B. Lynn Beattie
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
Mario Brondani
Affiliation:
Department of Oral Health Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
S. Ross Bryant
Affiliation:
Department of Oral Health Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
Peter Graf
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
Shimae Soheilipour
Affiliation:
Department of Oral Public Health & Torabinejad Dental Research Center, Dental School, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
*
†La correspondance et les demandes de tirés-à-part doivent être adressées à: / Correspondence and requests for offprints should be sent to: Michael I. MacEntee, LDS(I), FRCD(C), Ph.D. Department of Oral Health Sciences University of British Columbia 2199 Wesbrook Mall Vancouver, BC V6R 2X3 ([email protected])
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Abstract

This study explored how older Punjabi-speaking South-Asian immigrants (four focus groups; 33 participants) in Surrey, British Columbia, perceive oral health and related problems. Content analysis revealed two umbrella themes: (a) interpretations of mouth conditions and (b) challenges to oral health. The umbrella themes had four sub-themes: damage caused by heat (wai), disturbances caused by caries, coping with dentures, and quality of life. Three challenges were considered: home remedies, Western dentistry, and difficulties accessing dentists. Participants explained oral diseases in terms of a systemic infection (resha), and preferred to decrease imbalances of wai in the mouth with home remedies from India. We conclude that older Punjabi-speaking immigrants interpret oral health and disease in the context of both Western and Ayurvedic traditions, and that they manage dental problems with a mix of traditional remedies supplemented, if possible, by elective oral health care in India, and by emergency dental care in Canada.

Résumé

Cette étude a exploré comment les immigrants âgés d’origine sud-asiatique, parlant le pendjabi (quatre groupes de discussion; 33 participants) de Surrey en Colombie-Britannique, perçoivent leur santé buccale et les problèmes connexes. L’analyse a relevé deux thèmes généraux: les interprétations de la condition bucco-dentaire et les défis de santé bucco-dentaire. Le thème des interprétations avait quatre sous-thèmes: les dommages causés par le wai, les perturbations causé par la carie, l’adaptation aux prothèses dentaires, et qualité de vie; alors que le thème des défis considérés: remèdes à domicile, dentisterie occidentale; et difficultés d’accès aux dentistes. Les participants ont expliqué les maladies bucco-dentaires en termes d’une infection systémique (resha) et ont dit préféré les remèdes faits maison pour diminuer les écarts de chaleur (wai) dans la bouche. Nous concluons que les immigrants âgés d’origine sud-asiatique parlant le pendjabi interprète la santé et les maladies bucco-dentaires dans un contexte mixte de traditions occidentales et Ayurvédique, et gèrent leur santé buccale au moyen de remèdes traditionnels faits maison, complémentés au besoin par des soins d’urgence dispensés au Canada.

Keywords

agingculturedentistrygerodontologyimmigrantsPunjabiSouth-Asianvieillissementculturedentisteriegérodontologieimmigrantspendjabisud-asiatique
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 33 , Issue 2 , June 2014 , pp. 196 - 207
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2014 

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Footnotes

*

This study was supported by funding from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (Operating Grant # FRN-77375). We are grateful to Kathy Hornby for her contribution to the research proposal and the library searches.

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