Community Dental Health

cover art

Cover Date:
March 2009
Print ISSN:
0265 539X
Vol:
26
Issue:
1

The prevalence of dental caries and fissure sealants in 12 year old children by disadvantaged status in Dublin (Ireland).

Objective The aim was to record dental caries levels and the presence of fissure sealants in 12-year old schoolchildren whose domestic water supply had been fluoridated since birth in Dublin (Ireland). Research design Cross-sectional study. Participants A representative, random sample of 12-year old schoolchildren in north-west Dublin. Outcome measures Dental caries levels were recorded using WHO criteria and fissure sealant was recorded when sealant was detectable on a permanent molar tooth. Medical card ownership, as a surrogate for disadvantage, was recorded by use of a questionnaire. Results Three-hundred and thirty-two (332) children were examined. The mean DMFT was 0.80 (SD 1.24). Analysis (Mann-Whitney U test) based on stratification of the sample according to medical-card status revealed no statistically significant difference between DMFT median scores of children of medical-card holders (i.e. social disadvantage background) and non medical-card holders (p-value=0.23). However, the data revealed a social gradient in the presence of at least one fissure sealant. Approximately 10% more children in the group of medical-card holders had no fissure sealants present. Fisher’s exact test was used to examine the association between the absence of fissure sealants and at least one fissure sealant between the two groups and was considered to be statistically significant (p-value=0.04). Conclusion This study demonstrated a social gradient in the presence of fissure sealants, but no such gradient in dental caries levels. This demonstrates the importance of population-based measures in the prevention of dental caries, such as water fluoridation, in reducing oral health inequalities.

Key words: Children, dental caries, deprivation, Dublin, fissure sealant, inequalities, Ireland

Article Price
£15.00
Institution Article Price
£
Page Start
32
Page End
37
Authors
D. Sagheri, J. McLoughlin, J.J. Clarkson

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  1. Editorial - Closing the gap in a generation: Health equity through action on the social determinants of health. A Report of the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) 2008.
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  1. Referees 2009
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  1. Predictive tool for estimating the potential effect of water fluoridation on dental caries
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  1. Dental caries prevalence and distribution among preschoolers in Singapore
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  1. Oral health in German children, adolescents, adults and senior citizens in 2005
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  1. Caries prevalence and fluoride use in low SES children in Clermont-Ferrand (France)
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  1. Previous radiographic experience of children referred for dental extractions under general anaesthesia in the UK.
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  1. The prevalence of dental caries and fissure sealants in 12 year old children by disadvantaged status in Dublin (Ireland).
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  1. Childhood growth and dental caries
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  1. Measurement of attitudes of UK dental practitioners to core job constructs.
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  1. Dental general anaesthesia - will the service disappear? A pilot study
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  1. Orthodontic treatment need and oral health-related quality among children
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  1. Short Communication - Changing dental caries levels in the 1980’s, 1990’s and 2005 among children of a Jerusalem region.
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