The Dental Health of Three-year-old Children in Greater Glasgow, Scotland

Objective: To report on the dental health of three-year-old children in Greater Glasgow, and to examine the amount of dental caries associated with deprivation in this young age group.

Design: Dental inspections in nursery schools.

Subjects And Methods: The national inspection programme using BASCD criteria was extended to include an additional group of nursery attending three-year-olds in Greater Glasgow in 2006/7 and 2007/8. Caries experience was analysed by logistic regression models and ROC plots.

Results: Fourteen percent of this population was sampled in 2006/7 and 19% in 2007/8 (usable data n = 1,711 in 2006/7, 2,428 in 2007/8). Mean d(3)mft was 1.1 in 2006/7 and 1.0 in 2007/8. The prevalence of caries experience was 26% in 2006/7 and 25% in 2007/8 (33% and 32%, respectively, for children in deprived areas). The adjusted odds-ratio for caries experience for children living in the most deprived areas was 2.90 (2.31, 3.64), p <0.001. There was a high rate of caries in the upper anterior teeth.

Conclusion: It was feasible to conduct large scale caries surveys of three-year-olds in a nursery setting. Poor dental health and inequality commence early in life. Caries prevention should be targeted toward deprived families from birth.