Chinese culture and dental behaviour: some observations from Wellington

Chinese migrants bring their Chinese culture and Chinese beliefs to New Zealand. The acculturation process can be long and may affect their access to dental services. Analysis of recent research suggests a pattern whereby the greater the acculturation, the greater the use of dental services. Four aspects of Chinese culture are highlighted: wrong perception of the cause of caries as 'Qi'; intention to seek self-treatment; a preference for keeping teeth against dentists' advice; and complex attitudes towards New Zealand dentists. These issues require dentists to be culturally aware when dealing with Chinese patients. Because existing models fail to capture the complexities of Chinese culture, a dynamic model is proposed to help dental practitioners to understand Chinese migrants' dental behaviours. Chinese culture also has implications for researchers who want to carry out research with the Chinese community.