Glasgow nursery-based caries experience, before and after a community development-based oral health programme's implementation

Blair, Y., Macpherson, L.M. , McCall, D.R., McMahon, A.D. and Stephen, K.W. (2004) Glasgow nursery-based caries experience, before and after a community development-based oral health programme's implementation. Community Dental Health, 21(4), 291 -298.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To develop and evaluate NHS-based strategies likely to improve dental health and reduce inequalities in pre-5-year-old's oral health in Greater Glasgow, Scotland, by ecological study of community-based oral health promotion programmes in two of the area's most socio-economically deprived communities. BASIC RESEARCH DESIGN: Following an initial health service-based Oral Health Needs Assessment (OHNA) in a severely deprived community, culturally relevant dental health promotion interventions were initiated with multidisciplinary collaborative networks. Ecological studies to monitor dental health involved cross-sectional caries epidemiology of nursery children aged 36-59 months at baseline (1995/96), after two (1997/98) and four years (1999/00), in the G22 (pilot) and G33 post code areas. These areas had similar socio-economic status (SES), i.e. severe social deprivation. RESULTS: At the outset, mean dmft scores in the pilot area for the age groups 36-47 months and 48-59 months were respectively 3.9 (95% CI 2.8 5.1) and 5.9 (95% CI 5.1-6.8), with the proportions of caries-free children being 38% and 17%, respectively. Reductions in mean dmft of 46% for the 36-47 month-olds and 37% for the 48-59 month-olds occurred in the pilot public health programme area over the four-year period; the proportions of caries-free children increased to 51% and 40%, respectively. During the first two years of the programme, increases in the mean dmft of 36-47 month- and 48-59 month-olds in the G33 (comparator) area were recorded. However, this trend was reversed significantly two years later following the introduction of a similar community development-based caries-prevention programme. CONCLUSION: While not being able to attribute causation, a programme of community development to promote the dental health of pre-school children residing in two socio-economically disadvantaged areas of Glasgow was associated with significant improvements in the dental health of these pre-school populations.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Macpherson, Professor Lorna and McMahon, Dr Alex and Blair, Dr Yvonne and Stephen, Prof Kenneth
• Authors: Blair, Y., Macpherson, L.M., McCall, D.R., McMahon, A.D., and Stephen, K.W.
• Subjects: R Medicine > RK Dentistry
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences; College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing > Dental School
• Journal Name: Community Dental Health
• ISSN: 0265-539X