SEMINAR: Building Oral Health through maths, digital models and maps

The Seminar: The relationship between the geographical characteristics of a place and the inhabitants’ health was first described in 400 B.C.E. by Hippocrates. Since then, many medical studies have utilized cartographic and geographic tools for epidemiologic and social research. With the development of computer science, geographic information systems (GIS) have been of primary importance not only for research but also as a decision making tool in health care. This seminar will discuss how simple mathematics and mapping can be used to improve understanding of sociodemographic health determinants as well as to aid in decision making for dental health care planning. Oral health is the second greatest health cost to Australia, and oral disease in children and adults is higher among poor and disadvantaged population groups. In the era of widespread information, we will explore how looking at existing data in different ways, using open source software, can aid in reducing inequalities in dental health in Australia.

The Speaker: Carla Martins Rocha (BDSc, MDSc) is a Brazilian trained dentist, living and working in Perth. She holds a master degree in Prosthodontics and has been an Honorary Research Fellow at The International Research Collaborative – Oral Health and Equity (UWA) since 2012. Carla believes oral health is a fundamental human right and dedicates some of her free time to research aiming at increasing access to dental care for those in need.