Poor dental health in deprived children needs to be tackled from birth

Issued: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:23:00 BST

Researchers from the University of Glasgow Dental School and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, in a paper published by the British Dental Journal, have concluded that strategies to combat very high levels of tooth decay in children from deprived areas need to start from birth.

Dental inspections of over 4,000 three-year-old children in Greater Glasgow and Clyde found tooth decay (caries) in at least a quarter of the children examined. Amongst children from deprived areas, the prevalence of decay was even higher, with a third of those surveyed exhibiting evidence of caries.

Commenting on the findings, Andrew Lamb, BDA Director for Scotland, said:

"This study highlights the depressing fact that poor dental health and inequality are closely linked from very early in life. This study reinforces the importance of providing support to children from deprived communities soon after they are born.  We commend the progress made by Childsmile, which focuses not only on children attending nursery and primary schools, but also on identifying children at risk from birth."

The paper "The dental health of three-year-old children in Greater Glasgow, Scotland" (2010; 209: E5) is available on the British Dental Journal website.

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