Table 3.

Strategies used in implementing Western and Indigenous approaches to integrate oral health into primary health care

Western Approaches

• Development of one integrated dental clinic at one satellite centre for comprehensive dental services, provision of basic dental services at other nursing stations and satellite centres [46] • Basic or Comprehensive dental services [25, 47, 49, 59, 63, 65–67, 70–72] • Community based promotive and preventive dental services (community water fluoridation, school based programs, pit and fissure sealants, fluoride varnish, education, tobacco counselling, maternal counselling prenatal and well baby visits) [25, 47–49, 52–56, 59, 61–63, 65–67, 69, 70, 73] • Mobile dental services [57] • E-oral health by rural primary care providers (teleconferencing) [68] • Visiting dentists [57] • Training of non-dental primary are providers on dental health [50–52, 54, 55, 58, 60, 63, 64]

Indigenous Approaches

• Aimed for culturally competent services [46] • Community ownership and partnerships with Indigenous communities [48–54, 56, 58–62, 64–66, 71–73] • Culturally appropriate oral health service such as development of dental education tools in native languages [48, 67], Oral health promotion by interconnecting with the community at their local and cultural events such as circle of wellness program [70], use of Indigenously adapted aids and equipment such as toothbrushes, timers and brushing charts [61], role of elders and family tip cards designed by Indigenous Families and painted by Indigenous artist [73] • Locally trained IHWs [25, 48, 49, 51–55, 58, 59, 61, 62, 65–67, 69, 73] • Cultural training/advice for non-Indigenous health care providers [59, 73]