IADR Abstract Archives
Does Availability of Free Dental Services Eliminate Disparities in Preventive Treatment
Objectives: To examine whether availability of free dental services for children in the UK eliminates socioeconomic disparities in regular dental visits and in the provision of preventive dental treatment.
Methods: We analysed data from the Children Dental Health Survey 2003, a nationally representative survey of children aged 5-15 year olds in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Children younger than 6 years and those who did not complete the questionnaire were excluded from the analysis. Regression analyses were used to assess socioeconomic disparities in regular dental visits, any treatment to prevent caries as reported by parents, any sealed tooth, number of sealed teeth (clinically assessed), adjusting for sex, age, country, mother’s education, family social class (NS-SEC 3), deprivation and DMFT/dft.
Results: The number of children in the analysis was 2286. Although higher percentages of children of parents at the top of social hierarchy had preventive services than those at the bottom, there was no significant difference in preventive services reported by parents, or in number of sealed teeth by any of the indicators of socioeconomic position. However, regular dental visits were less likely among deprived than non-deprived children (OR 0.41, 95%CI:0.28,0.63) and among those whose parents had manual than those with managerial/professional jobs (OR 0.37, 95%CI:0.24,0.58). Regular dental visit was significantly associated with reporting having preventive care (Odds Ratio 2.25, 95% CI:1.45,3.49) and with number of sealed tooth surface (Rate Ratio 1.73, 95% CI:1.16,2.60).
Conclusions: Despite apparent socioeconomic disparities in regular dental visits, there were no significant differences in the use of preventive dental services by children in UK. This implies that children at the bottom of social hierarchy received the same level of preventive care in less frequent dental visits. Availability of free dental services appears to eliminate socioeconomic barriers to use of preventive services by children.
Methods: We analysed data from the Children Dental Health Survey 2003, a nationally representative survey of children aged 5-15 year olds in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Children younger than 6 years and those who did not complete the questionnaire were excluded from the analysis. Regression analyses were used to assess socioeconomic disparities in regular dental visits, any treatment to prevent caries as reported by parents, any sealed tooth, number of sealed teeth (clinically assessed), adjusting for sex, age, country, mother’s education, family social class (NS-SEC 3), deprivation and DMFT/dft.
Results: The number of children in the analysis was 2286. Although higher percentages of children of parents at the top of social hierarchy had preventive services than those at the bottom, there was no significant difference in preventive services reported by parents, or in number of sealed teeth by any of the indicators of socioeconomic position. However, regular dental visits were less likely among deprived than non-deprived children (OR 0.41, 95%CI:0.28,0.63) and among those whose parents had manual than those with managerial/professional jobs (OR 0.37, 95%CI:0.24,0.58). Regular dental visit was significantly associated with reporting having preventive care (Odds Ratio 2.25, 95% CI:1.45,3.49) and with number of sealed tooth surface (Rate Ratio 1.73, 95% CI:1.16,2.60).
Conclusions: Despite apparent socioeconomic disparities in regular dental visits, there were no significant differences in the use of preventive dental services by children in UK. This implies that children at the bottom of social hierarchy received the same level of preventive care in less frequent dental visits. Availability of free dental services appears to eliminate socioeconomic barriers to use of preventive services by children.