Oral health promotion for linguistically and culturally diverse populations: Understanding the local non-English-speaking population

Changes in the prevalence of oral diseases and the funding of National Health Service Dentistry in the United Kingdom have combined to emphasize the role of the dental team in the prevention of disease. As part of this, oral health promotion plays a vital role in local communities and educational settings. Like many other inner-city London boroughs, Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham have linguistically and culturally diverse populations, accompanied in recent years by an increasing demand and need for oral health promotion for non English speakers and those with low English language proficiency. Using the population of Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham as an example, this paper will highlight the complexity of developing oral health promotion resources for non-English-speaking populations, where language is a barrier to accessing information and services. Practical strategies for delivering health promotion in the community will also be considered.