The geodemographic distribution of caries experience in neighboring fluoridated and nonfluoridated populations.
OBJECTIVE
This study compares the geodemographic distribution of caries experience in neighboring fluoridated and nonfluoridated populations.


METHODS
All 5-year-old children living in fluoridated (N=1,422) and nonfluoridated (N=4,779) areas of Cheshire, UK, were examined by trained and calibrated examiners. The Target Market level of the Super Profiles geodemographic classification was used to produce market penetration ranking reports for caries experience. The same area types were compared in fluoridated and nonfluoridated populations. Lorenz curves and Gini coefficients were generated from the outputs of the penetration rankings.


RESULTS
There was a 12.4 percent difference in prevalence and a 29.4 percent difference in dmft between fluoridated (dmft>0=32.4%, dmft=1.01) and nonfluoridated (dmft>0=37.0%, dmft=1.43) areas. The area types at the top of both penetration rankings were deprived in nature and those at the bottom were affluent. The Gini coefficients in each area were 22.7 and 23.7 percent.


CONCLUSIONS
The results demonstrate that water fluoridation is effective at preventing dental disease after controlling for confounding factors. In both populations the majority of disease was not confined to a small number of deprived area types. This undermines the contention that a targeted approach to caries prevention is a practical option.
Tickle
Martin
M
Department of Oral Health and Development, Manchester University Dental School, Higher Cambridge Street, Manchester, UK, M15 6LP. martin.tickle@man-ac.uk
Milsom
Keith M
KM
Jenner
Tony M
TM
Blinkhorn
Anthony S
AS
D002648:Child; D004245:DMF Index; D003710:Demography; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005457:Fluoridation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D011203:Poverty; D015995:Prevalence; D012923:Social Class