Search

Aim: To report ethnic differences related to caries experience among three- to four-year-old children living in three of the most deprived boroughs in the UK in Inner North East London: Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Newham., Methods: This cross-sectional survey used a cluster sampling study design following the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry protocol. Twenty nurseries from each borough were randomly selected and all three- to four-year-old children in selected nurseries were invited to participate (n = 2,434). Calibrated dentists examined children. Demographic information was obtained from schools., Results: One thousand, two hundred and eighty-five children were examined in 60 nurseries (response rate = 52.8%). Twenty-four percent of three- to four-year-old children had caries experience (mean dmft = 0.92). Few children (2.1%) had filled teeth. Children living in Hackney had significantly lower dmft scores (mean = 0.63) than children living in Newham (mean = 1.06) and Tower Hamlets (mean = 1.06). White European (mean = 1.91), Bangladeshi (mean = 1.05) and Pakistani (mean = 1.11) children had a significantly higher number of untreated carious teeth than White British children (mean = 0.56)., Conclusion: Preschool children from a White Eastern European, Bangladeshi and Pakistani background are likely to experience significantly poorer oral health than their White British counterparts. These findings have profound implications for commissioning dental services and oral health promotion.

Longitudinal research helps to clarify changing needs and the timing of treatments and referral but is hampered by poor recruitment and retention of participants. We explored, using semi-structured interviews in a cross-sectional design, the views and preferences of patients with advanced cancer on taking part in planned longitudinal questionnaire-based research studies. Patients with advanced lung and colorectal cancer were recruited from outpatient clinics in a London hospital. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken to explore their views about taking part in a specific future questionnaire study and their preferences regarding format. In all, 20 of 47 patients initially identified were recruited. Their preferences for the planned questionnaire study were for face-to-face interviews undertaken at home from late morning onwards with recontact at a mean of 6 weeks. Fluctuating symptom control needs could result in unexpected admission to or discharge from hospital. Developing flexible and responsive recruitment procedures is vital to retain patient participation as more than one contact might be required to successfully conclude an interview.

Objective: The study was carried out to assess the prevalence of traumatic injuries to the permanent incisors of 14-year-old schoolchildren in Newham in 1998-99, the treatment needed and to compare the results with data from 1995-96. Also, to test whether different levels of deprivation within an area would increase the risk of dental injury., Basic Research Design: A cross-sectional study was carried out. One dentist (SM) carried out all dental examinations. Upper and lower permanent incisors were examined for dental injuries. The examiner recorded the type of damage sustained, any treatment carried out and the treatment need., Participants: 411 14-year-old schoolchildren in Newham in 1998-99. Results The prevalence of traumatic injuries was 43.8% (95% CI 39.0, 48.7) in 1998-99, compared to 23.7% (95% CI 22.0, 25.5) in 1995-96. Boys sustained statistically significantly more dental injuries than girls, 50.2% and 37.1% respectively (P<0.01). In 1998-99 92.7 per thousand incisors were damaged, 6.7 per thousand incisors were treated and 28.9 per thousand incisors needed treatment. Two components of the Jarman Index were associated with dental injuries. Overcrowded household was statistically significantly related to dental injuries in both studies. Ethnicity was associated with dental injury in 1998-99, but not tested in 1995-96. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of traumatic dental injury in Newham increased from 23.7% to 43.8% between 1995-96 and 1998-99, it was higher than the overall prevalence in the United Kingdom (17%) and its treatment had been neglected. Area-based measures of deprivation such as an overcrowded household and ethnicity were predictors of traumatic dental injuries.

Aims: To assess the epidemiology of dental injuries among schoolchildren in Newham, London., Material and Methods: This study was carried out as part of the annual Community Dental Service's School Dental Inspection (SDI) programme in Newham. All schoolchildren aged 14 years were invited to participate in the study. Dental examinations were carried out by one trained examiner (SM) and included presence of clinical evidence of dental injuries, treatment provided and needed in the upper and lower permanent incisors, size of incisal overjet and type of lip coverage. The postcode was recorded to assess the levels of social deprivation., Findings: 2242 out of 2684 children were examined. The prevalence of dental injuries was 23.7%. Treatment of dental injuries was neglected. Being male, having an incisal overjet greater than 5 mm and living in an overcrowded household increased the risk of having dental injuries., Conclusions: The prevalence of dental injuries in Newham (23.7%), which is a deprived area of London, was much higher than the overall prevalence in the UK (17%). Traumatic dental injuries seem to be a serious dental public health problem among children in deprived areas. Thus, there is an urgent need to collect local data on dental injuries in order to obtain a more comprehensive picture of the dental health.