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Water fluoridation, poverty and tooth decay in 12-year-old children
1Highland Health Board, Assynt House, Beechwood Park, Inverness, UK.
Aim:
To examine the influence of water fluoridation, and socio-economic deprivation on tooth decay in the permanent dentition of 12 year old children.
Setting:
The North of England, fluoridated Newcastle and non-fluoridated Liverpool. A total of 6,638 children were examined.
Outcome Measures:
Multiple Regression analysis of fluoride status, mean electoral ward DMFT in 1992/93 and ward Townsend Scores from the 1991 census.
Results:
Social deprivation and tooth decay were significantly correlated in areas with and without water fluoridation. Multiple linear regression showed a statistically significant interaction between ward Townsend score, mean DMFT and water fluoridation, showing that the more deprived the area the greater the reduction in tooth decay. At a Townsend score of zero (the English average) there was a predicted 37% reduction in decay in 12-year-olds in fluoridated wards.
Conclusions:
Tooth decay is strongly associated with social deprivation. The findings confirm that the implementation of water fluoridation has markedly reduced tooth decay in 12-year-old children and that socio-economic dental health inequalities are reduced.
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