Living in deprived areas can have a range of effects on the health of children. This is a similar case with oral health. But does this extend to tooth extractions? Now, a research team has sought to find out if where a child lives impacts the chances of them needing a tooth extraction. The findings can help to advise dentists and policy makers on helping children that need extra support with their health.
Regardless of the size of a country, the population can experience life very differently. While some areas in a nation are known to flourish and prosper, others can be poverty stricken and deprived.
The areas that are deprived often see worse outcomes in health. Now, a research team has looked to find out if children in deprived areas need tooth extractions more than children in affluent areas [1].
This is an interesting topic. With the oral health of children being an incredibly important area, any research into this subject is helpful.
Background
This research focuses on tooth extractions. Tooth extractions refer to when a tooth is removed from a patient. Extractions are typically only used as a last resort once all other efforts to save a tooth have been exhausted.
Extractions are usually needed in cases of severe tooth decay. Other potential causes include untreated gum disease, trauma, or overcrowding.
But tooth decay – itself caused by a lack of oral hygiene or a sugary diet – is the main cause of extractions in children. For example, 63% of extractions performed in those aged under 20 between 2021 and 2022 in the UK were carried out due to tooth decay [2].
This topic focused on different areas of London – the capital city of England. London is renowned for having incredibly affluent zones, and deeply deprived areas too.
In the United Kingdom, oral health standards have been complicated and negatively impacted recently due to a severe shortage of dentists [3].
The Research
The research was conducted by a team at Queen Mary University of London in the United Kingdom. Subsequently, their findings were published in the BMJ Public Health [1].
The research took place in the United Kingdom. The research team analyzed the hospital records of 600,000 children between the ages of 5 and 16 over a five-year period. These children all lived in north-east London [1].
Over this five year period, one in 200 children had at least one tooth extracted under general anesthetic. Furthermore, many of these children had multiple teeth removed [1].
The researchers wanted to analyze these numbers closely, including looking at the background and demographics of the 600,000 children [1]. They uncovered some concerning statistics.
They found that children living in areas with the highest proportion of low-income households were three times more likely to require a dental extraction compared to areas with a low proportion of low-income households [1].
Having triple the chance is very worrying, and underlines the scale of the issues facing those in deprived areas. This is a significant number.
There were also some statistics that suggested certain ethnicities are at heightened risk – when compared to white British children. White Irish children were twice as likely, while Bangladeshi and Pakistani children were 1.5 and 1.4 times more likely respectively to require extractions [1].
The researchers also found a direct link between dental clinic visits and extractions. They found that children in the Tower Hamlets area of London had the lowest dental clinic attendance and the highest tooth extraction rate.
Conversely, the areas with the highest amount of dental clinic attendance were associated with the lowest tooth extraction rate [1].
There was a clear connection between deprived areas and poor oral health. In more affluent areas, a link to strong oral health was clear.
What can be done?
There is clearly significant work that needs to be completed to try and target children in deprived areas. Similarly, it is important that children from affluent areas do not become complacent.
Such inequities suggest that improved oral health education in school should be a priority. Regular trips to the dentist, and controlling sugar intake are other practical steps.
Preventive care is very important. Due to tooth extractions being a last resort, we can infer that children are only being taken to see a dentist when they are in intense pain and in desperate need of treatment. Therefore, a reactive, rather than proactive approach is unfortunately taken.
Queen Mary University’s Institute of Dentistry has opened a new dental outreach clinic, which they hope will attract more children. This has the potential to improve access to dental care in the area.
Summary
These findings underline a desperate need for improved access to preventive dentistry. There are clearly several areas impacting children from deprived areas.
Lead author Nicola Firman has said that the findings “point to an urgent need for equitable access to preventive general dental services, and interventions that are targeted at the wider determinants of dental health” [4].
Fellow author Vanessa Muirhead agreed, stating that the findings “sadly demonstrate wide socioeconomic and ethnic inequalities related to access to dental care and outcomes” [4].
Hopefully, improvements will be seen in the coming years. It is important to get to a point where children – regardless of their background – are able to avoid tooth extractions and have strong oral health.
Thinking points…
1) As seen above, there is a clear connection between visits to the dentist and improved dental health. If you have children, visiting the dentist is very important. Problems can be spotted early, which should mean something as invasive as a tooth extraction should always be avoided. We recommend that your children should have at least two check-ups a year. Why not book an appointment now?
2) Remember that it isn’t just children that should be attending the dentist regularly! It is crucial that adults too. Check-ups allow a dentist to take a look at your oral health, examine your mouth, and provide advice. If there are any problems, then treatment can be planned and arranged. We recommend that you book an appointment now!
What we offer at Savanna Dental
Savanna Dental is a dental clinic based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. We provide our patients with a range of treatment options and advice, with the aim of improving oral health and boosting overall wellbeing!
We advise our patients to attend our Calgary-based dental clinic twice a year for a dental check-up. If any problems are detected, we have many treatments available. For instance, these include cavity fillings and root canals. To try and prevent problems, it is important to brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss regularly.
Here at Savanna Dental, we also have some cosmetic treatments available! These include dental implants, tooth whitening and Invisalign™! Our patients find that these treatments have a positive impact on their appearance, confidence and self-esteem.
In addition, the fees of our services at our Calgary dental clinic Savanna Dental are set in line with the Alberta Dental Fee Guide.
We would love you to visit our Savanna Dental clinic in Calgary! You can find out more about us by visiting our website https://savannadentalclinic.ca/!
References
[1] Firman, N., Dezateux, C., & Muirhead, V. (2024). Inequalities in children’s tooth decay requiring dental extraction under general anaesthetic: a longitudinal study using linked electronic health records. BMJ Public Health. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjph-2023-000622.
[2] Bagot, M. (2023). Hospitals see massive surge in kids and teenagers needing teeth removed due to decay. Available: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/health/hospitals-see-massive-surge-kids-29298540. Last accessed: 19th July 2024.
[3] BBC News. (2024). NHS dentist shortages to be tackled with cash incentive. Available: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-68171171. Last accessed: 19th July 2024.
[4] Queen Mary, University of London. (2024). Children living in deprived areas are three times more likely to need dental extractions in hospital, finds study. Available: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-07-children-deprived-areas-dental-hospital.html. Last accessed: 19th July 2024.
