Associate Professor Jonathan Broadbent.
Otago research which examined social and personal characteristics, dental habits and oral health over 38 years was 2016's “most read” article in the top international publication, the Journal of Dental Research.
The paper, Oral Health–related Beliefs, Behaviors, and Outcomes through the Life Course, by Associate Professor Jonathan Broadbent and colleagues, helps to explain how socioeconomic inequalities in dental health come about.
“Our childhood is a critical time in determining our future dental health,” Dr Broadbent says, “but as we get older the risks for having bad teeth further accumulate from ongoing exposure to socioeconomic disadvantage.”
"The more people read it, the more likely it is that the research will affect dental health policy both here in New Zealand and overseas."
Associate Professor Broadbent says the research is from the dental side of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, and involved repeated dental examinations of the Study members as they grew up. More than one generation of researchers was involved in collecting the data used in the research.
He says having the “most read” article in the Journal of Dental Research is a very satisfying achievement for the research team, and this couldn't have come about without the hard work of all co-authors.
“It is great to know that people are reading the research. The more people read it, the more likely it is that the research will affect dental health policy both here in New Zealand and overseas.”
Associate Professor Broadbent began working at Otago in 2004. He works on dental epidemiological research with the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study as well as teaching.
Read the article:
Oral Health–related Beliefs, Behaviors, and Outcomes through the Life Course