The effect of socio-economic status and ethnicity on the comparative oral health of Asian and White Caucasian 12-year-old children.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the oral health of 12-year-old children of different deprivation but similar fluoridation status from South Asian and White Caucasian ethnic groups.


METHODS
An epidemiological survey of 12-year-old children using BASCD criteria, with additional tooth erosion, ethnic classification and postcode data.


METHODS
Examinations were completed in schools in Leicestershire and Rutland, England, UK. Participants A random sample of 1,753 12-year-old children from all schools in the study area.


METHODS
Caries experience was measured using the DMFT index diagnosed at the caries into dentine (D3) threshold, and tooth erosion using the index employed in the Children's Dental Health UK study reported in 1993.


RESULTS
The overall prevalence of caries was greater in White than Asian children, but varied at different levels of deprivation and amongst different Asian religious groups. There was a significant positive association between caries and deprivation for White children, but the reverse was true for non-Muslim Asians. White Low Deprivation children had significantly less tooth erosion, but erosion experience increased with decreasing deprivation in non-Muslim Asians.


CONCLUSIONS
Oral health is associated with ethnicity and linked to deprivation on an ethnic basis. The intra-Asian dental health disadvantage found in the primary dentition of Muslim children is perpetuated into the permanent dentition.
Dugmore
C R
CR
Senior Community Dentist, Melton, Rutland and Harborough NHS Trust, Pasley Road Dental Clinic, Eyres Monsell, Leicester, UK. Christopher.Dugmore@mrh-pct.nhs.uk
Rock
W P
WP
D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D019229:Dentition, Permanent; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D018596:Hinduism; D006801:Humans; D007514:Islam; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health; D015995:Prevalence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012923:Social Class; D014077:Tooth Erosion / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data