Maori And European Caries Experience Similar After Health Promotion Intervention

Introduction: In 1999, the Health Funding Authority made funds available for projects targeting the most disadvantaged children in School Dental Service regions of New Zealand. The Wellington region had 26% of the children attending schools in the lowest three socio-economic deciles of the nation. Aim: To reduce the proportion of disadvantaged children with caries experience (dmft>0) by age 5 Methods: In 2000-01, 503 children of first-time mothers in the most disadvantaged suburbs of the Wellington region were recruited after birth, given unique numbers, and followed longitudinally. Educational visits appropriate for the baby's development were delivered to mothers by trained and suitably resourced baby health nurses at 6-12 weeks, 4-5 months, 9-12 months and 15-18 months for which the agencies received $25 per visit. Children were enrolled in the regional School Dental Service between 18 and 30 months. Results: At 5th years, 60% of European and Other children and 44% of Maori children remaining in the Wellington region. The 5-year-old dental health outcomes of the intervention cohort were the same as the national averages for fluoridated areas in 2005-06 except for Maori who were significantly better. In the intervention cohort, Maori children were not significantly different from European or European and Other children for the prevalence of dmft=0 and mean dmf teeth. In 2000-01 and 2003-04, 5-year-old Maori children of the same socio-economic status were different from European and European & Other children with a significantly lower prevalence of dmft=0 and higher mean dmf teeth. There was evidence of a halo effect in other lowest decile children attended by the same baby health nurses. Conclusions: Although previously, Maori 5-year-olds had significantly worse dental health, after this health promotion intervention, Maori children had similar dental health to European or European and Other children of the same socio-economic status.